London, October 22 (ANI): The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has admitted that they do not cut violent scenes from 18-rated movies anymore, and its critics are now demanding that the board members be sacked.

The controversy rose as the board approved the ultra-violent film Eastern Promises without any cuts. The movie includes graphic scenes of throatslitting, child prostitution and a man having an eye gouged out.

A spokesman for the board said it was for the adult audiences to decide what they wished to watch, and that movie buffs were free to look away from the screen whenever a violent scene came.

"For adult films, we only intervene if a movie promotes harmful or dangerous activity which might encourage copycat behaviour or encourages people to do stupid, harmful things. Not everyone will like Eastern Promises and some of the images, such as the eye-gouging scene, might upset. It is not one for the squeamish and if you are of a wobbly nature, then you can simply look away," the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

"The BBFC provides clear consumer advice. If the board went about cutting out every scene liable to offend then we would be leaving adults without any choice. Who's to decide what adults can or can't watch?" he added.

However, John Beyer, of pressure group Media watch UK wants the sacking of the board for its failure to show leadership at a time when street violence is spiralling.

"The BBFC has become increasingly lax and ineffective and is completely out of touch with public opinion. It needs to be replaced with another body which will show more responsibility on the issue of violence," the paper quoted him as saying.

"Despite the latest statistics in gun and knife crime showing that the problems of violence are at an all-time high, the BBFC refuses to take action. This culture of violence that the BBFC has engendered has got to come to an end. There is no question that the BBFC has set about changing and lowering standards over time with more violence and sexual content being put out for an ever younger audience," he added.

Former board president Andreas Whittam Smith, who held the position from 1998 to 2002, said believes that the institution is taking more relaxed approach towards violence.

"If I thought this was the type of film that was likely to make people leave the cinema, or even make them have to look away for quite a while, then I would question why the scene should be left in," he said while referring to the eye-gouging scene in Eastern Promises.

The film, directed by David Cronenberg and starring English-born actress Naomi Watts, centres on the activities of the Russian Mafia in London. (ANI)