Horror trailer 'shown too early'

Paradise Lost centres on a group of young backpackers in Brazil

A TV trailer for horror film Paradise Lost should not have been aired before 9pm watershed, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.

The "gory" advert, featuring blood and surgical instruments, could "cause distress to children," it said.

A viewer complained after watching the 10-second advert on TV at 2000.

Distributor Lions Gate had referred the advert to the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre (BACC) which said it should not be broadcast before 1930.

A 30-second version of the advert, which was more graphic, had been restricted until after 2100. Lions Gate argued that this was adequate.

But the ASA disagreed, and upheld the complaint, ruling that the 10-second version should also only be broadcast after the watershed.

Violent

In a written judgment, the ASA said: "Although the ad was 10 seconds long only, it showed blood flowing through a tube and an incision being made on the stomach of a woman on an operating table.

"It showed a man wearing robes and surgical gloves holding a large syringe and dropping a bloodied rag.

"The woman said in a distressed tone 'I want to go home'; the inference was that she was being held against her will.

"We considered this was no less gory or violent than the 30-second ads.

"We concluded that if scheduled before 9pm those images could cause distress to children."

The BACC said it had approved the 10-second advert because it felt "it was not of such a violent nature that it should receive a post-9pm restriction".

The organisation added it had "taken notice" of the ASA ruling.