Smutty Sali Mali video taken down

The video was taken off the website after complaints were made

Welsh-language TV company S4C was not amused when film of two of its cartoon characters in a compromising position was posted on the internet.

The 21-second clip showed two people staging a rude stunt while dressed in Fireman Sam and Sali Mali costumes.

It was taken off the website within hours of S4C launching an investigation.

The costumes were hired from S4C, although the characters' copyrights are owned by other organisations.

A spokesman for Sali Mali's copyright owners said someone had "misused the trust placed in them".

It was posted twice on the internet, with both clips carrying a caption in Welsh.

The real Fireman Sam has been popular since the 1980s

Sali Mali and her friends including Jac y Jwc have been a hit with children since they first appeared in a series of books written by Mary Vaughan Jones in the late 1960s.

Fireman Sam was first shown in 1986, and has appeared on children's television in more than 40 countries including Australia and Poland.

S4C said: "S4C will further investigate the matter. We have informed Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion, owners of the Sali Mali copyright and Hit who are responsible for the Sam Tân (Fireman Sam) copyright about the material."

The Sali Mali books were first published by Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion, the Ceredigion Books Society.

Spokesman Dylan Williams said: "Cymdeithas Lyfrau Ceredigion makes every effort to safeguard the Sali Mali character.

"It is with regret that we understand that someone has misused the trust that was placed in them."