Is TV getting too sexy?

The amount of sex shown on British television has more than doubled in the last five years, according to research.

A report by commercial watchdog the Independent Television Commission also shows that one in five programmes depicts some form of sexual activity or nudity, with Channels 4 and Five the worst offenders.

The commission compiled the report after a survey published earlier this year showed that 44 per cent of the public believed there was too much sex on television. It analysed the five terrestrial channels over a two-week period in 2002 and compared its findings to a similar period in 1997.

It found that the percentage of scenes involving depictions of sexual intercourse had risen from 6 per cent in 1997 to 14 per cent.

Channel 4 screened the most sex during the trial period - 39 per cent - while Five followed with 24 per cent. The report also concluded that a quarter of the sex scenes were only 'incidental to the narrative'.

Factual programmes showed the most sex while soap operas, usually screened before the watershed, showed the least.

John Beyer of quality TV campaign group Mediawatch, said: 'I'm glad the ITC has done a report about this but they should be more concerned with regulating it.

'There is too much pornography which masquerades as documentaries and the public don't like it.'

John Whittingdale, the Shadow Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, added: 'There is too much gratuitous sex and nudity which is taken out of context just to titillate people.

'What TV producers need to realise is that it does not compensate for quality programming.'

The only redeeming feature for the networks is that the watershed has been respected, and there is less nudity and sex shown before 9pm than in 1997.

The commission also noted that five programmes shown during the two-week period accounted for 39 per cent of all the sex scenes.