Keira Knightley Chanel
Banned Chanel advert shows provocatively posed Keira Knightley

A TV advert for Chanel perfume starring Keira Knightley has been banned from children's TV for being too sexually suggestive.

The three-minute commercial for the Coco Mademoiselle perfume had prompted complaints from parents when it was shown during Ice Age 2.

In the advert, the 27-year-old actress is stretched out on a bed as the male photographer unzips her clothes. She crawls towards him draped only in a sheet.

One viewer said: "Complete disregard for the audience, ie children, all for the quest of money. Shame on the company and Keira. Disgusting behaviour."

Another wrote: "Too late to curtail this Pandora's box of sexually explicit/suggestive exposures in our mainstream media. The ever-increasing sexualisation of our media has gone way too far and is a contributory factor in damaging our society's moral and sexual health."

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the advert was inappropriately scheduled and it was pulled.

"We considered the ad was suitable for older children, but that the sexually suggestive material was unsuitable for young children," the watchdog said.

"We concluded that the ad was inappropriately scheduled and an ex-kids' restriction should have been applied to prevent the ad from being broadcast in or around children's programming."

Chanel defended its commercial. It was intended to be playful and sensual rather than overtly sexual, said the perfume maker.