OFCOM has issued a report criticising British soaps for showing excessive amounts of violence before the watershed.

OFCOM singled out ITV soap, Emmerdale, in its report after it received numerous complaints about the violence shown surrounding the kidnap of Tom and Sadie King.

According to Ofcom, one of the scenes contained a “significant amount of blood” and a close-up of the character’s injury.

ITV defended the scenes stating:

“Whilst Emmerdale stories do not condone violent acts, it need not and should not shy away from them,” the broadcaster told Ofcom.

It said it had reached an “appropriate balance between dramatic entertainment and offence”.