Publicity posters for a new BBC television drama series have caused offence among Muslim communities.

The posters for Babyfather show four naked black men standing in line under a shower with their backs to the camera.

In Luton two billboards have been daubed with red paint and the bottoms painted out.

'Permissive society'

Zafar Khan, of the Luton Council of Faith, said: "I know it is a liberal and permissive society but our values are for morality and decency, culture, religion and customs.

"There are all kinds of competing interests and advertisers need to understand contemporary Britain."

The Advertising Standards Authority said it had received eight official complaints about the posters from across the country since they went up last Friday.

A BBC spokesman said very careful consideration had been given to placing of the posters.

"We were careful not to put them near to mosques and obviously we are sorry if the posters have caused any offence."

She said in placing the posters the BBC had also taken into consideration the Advertising Standards Authority's guidelines on nudity causing offence on the ground of race, religion or sex.

The posters were due to come down on Wednesday night.