The Commission for Racial Equality says the draft code for broadcasters does not deal with sensitive racial issues.

CRE chair Trevor Phillips said this could mean programme makers failing to account for race issues in productions.

But media regulator Ofcom said the draft code includes warnings on discriminatory language or treatment.

Ofcom's consultation on a new code for broadcasting closed this week. It is expected to publish the finished version of the code by the end of the year.

But Mr Phillips said Ofcom's omission of a specific reference to race in the draft was of "grave concern".

He said the old media codes, being replaced by Ofcom, had made specific references to race issues in both programmes and advertising.

'Sensitive times'

"These are sensitive times for relationships between communities, both internationally and domestically," said Mr Phillips.

Trevor Phillips: "Grave concern"

"If proper attention is not given to what is broadcast and how it is presented, our efforts to improve race relations could well suffer. "

A spokesman for Ofcom said the organisation would take seriously all the responses to the consultation. She stressed that the code included a section on discriminatory language and behaviour.

Ofcom would also publish more detailed guidance to programme makers once the principles of the code had been agreed, she said.

But Mr Phillips added: "It is never our intention to censor the media, but broadcasters must be conscious of the potential impact of their decisions and the need to reflect all points of view.

"We would have hoped that Ofcom would have taken this opportunity to advise broadcasters on how best to approach the difficult issue of balancing freedom of expression on the one hand and ensuring that Britain's diverse communities are not unnecessarily divided on the other.

"Sadly, this draft Code makes no specific reference to race and thus provides no guarantee that broadcasters will give any consideration to racial matters when vetting their programming or advertising output."

Ofcom already makes rulings on race issues. On 4 October it censured BBC Five Live after football commentator Alan Green used the phrase "me no cheat" in reference to a black player.

A complainant said the phrase suggested the footballer could only speak pidgin English, although the station and Mr Green said they regretted the words said in the heat of the moment.