The use of stereotypes in TV advertisements can reinforce racism and school bullying, according to a survey of viewers.

Black and ethnic minority respondents said they felt advertising did not reflect the UK's cultural diversity, and some commercials were overtly racist.

But they praised attempts by some advertisers to counter negative stereotypes, for example, by showing Asians speaking with Scottish accents.

The survey was published by the Independent Television Commission.

Assumptions

The report says the use of stereotypes is widely accepted by viewers as a quick way to establish characters in a short TV advertisement.

Many of the stereotypes are seen as perfectly acceptable but the ITC receives complaints that others are patronising or insulting.

One commercial, for Reed Employment, was seen as overtly racist, not just by ethnic minority groups, even though its intention was to counter such assumptions.

It showed a black youth with dreadlocks bumping into a smartly dressed white man, apparently deliberately.

It appeared as though he had picked the man's pocket - in fact he had left a note in the man's wallet telling him of a job opportunity.

Glaswegian accents

An advert for Typhoo Tea was criticised by many Asian people surveyed for portraying workers on a tea plantation in an patronising and offensive way.

But an advert for Homepride Curry Sauce was praised for featuring British Asians with strong Glaswegian accents.

The report also says commercials showing children who are overweight or wear glasses can exacerbate school bullying.