Sky One was censured for inadvertently showing explicit sex scenes

Meanwhile, one viewer's complaint led to satellite and digital channel Sky One being criticised for inadvertently showing an explicit sex scene.

A programme called Bloody Foreigners included a report on a club for 'wife-swappers' in Germany, and featured an interview with one of the female members.

However, in the background was a TV showing a graphic sex scene. The shot was overlooked when the programme was edited, and it went out at 2200 on 2 March.

The ITC ruled the scene broke its programme code, and said: "Though concentrating on the interviewee's face, the framing of the sequence caught a television set in the background on which three or four seconds of explicit sex appeared."

A Sky spokesman said: "Sky Television as a responsible broadcaster makes every effort to ensure all our programming output falls within the guidelines issued by the ITC.

Air-pistol scene drew complaints

The ITC backed Granada TV over an episode of Children's Ward

"This episode of Bloody Foreigners was heavily edited to ensure its compliance with the guidelines. However, unfortunately, a tiny very brief image in the corner of the screen was missed inadvertently, for which we apologise."

ITV drama Children's Ward, produced by Granada, escaped criticism following an episode featuring youngsters injured in an air-pistol incident.

Viewers complained it was violent and unsuitable for children, but the ITC said the scenes were "very dramatic but not gratuitous".

Meanwhile, Channel 5 faces a protest from three viewers' groups as part of a campaign about sex and violence on television.

The long-established National Viewers and Listeners Association will join with Families Involved In Raising Media Awareness and Protection of Parental Responsibility to demonstrate outside the two-year-old station's headquarters in Covent Garden, central London.

Campaign against Channel 5

Channel 5 is the target of clean-up TV protests

The channel has been criticised for showing late-night erotic films, and one show, Sex And Shopping, fell foul of both the ITC and the Broadcasting Standards Commission. Campaign co-ordinator Miranda Suit said:

"We want to show there are members of the public who are very concerned about what is shown.

"We're told that the public say they're not worried and that research shows we're more broadminded than we ever were.

"My feeling is that it is not the case. There are a lot of people reticent about saying anything, particularly in sexual matters.

"We will be protesting with banners and white balloons, which will represent the innocent children."

Channel 5 insists its adult shows are shown late at night and with clear warnings.

"The series they mention was watched by millions of viewers and we received only a handful of complaints," a spokesman said.