An advert for London estate agents Marsh and Watch The Desk Girl OnlineParsons is to be removed after members of the public called it out for sexism.

The text of the advert appears to describe the pictured woman as a "modern extension" to her older partner, who's described as a "charming period property".

People took to Twitter to voice their criticisms of the ad, and several made complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority.

"Yuk," wrote one Twitter user succinctly.

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"??," queried another.

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Many wondered what the message was actually intended to be.

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One person dubbed the ad "demeaning beyond words".

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Some felt the ad was totally outdated.

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David Brown, CEO of Marsh & Parsons, said the ad was intended to be part of a series of "tongue-in-cheek" comparing people to property and reflecting "the range of people" and properties they work with. "We have always tried to get our message across with a gentle sense of humour and up until now, our work has been extremely well-received," Brown said in a statement.

"The campaign, created by a team of men and women, is designed to be thought-provoking and to prompt conversation, but it was not our intention to cause offence," Brown continued.

He said that this particular ad had caused offence and the company would be taking steps to remove it as a result.