5:57am UK, Wednesday March 03, 2004

An advert for supermodel Elle Macpherson's range of lingerie has been banned after it was ruled "offensive" by the advertising watchdog.

The advert included a photograph, shot as though through a keyhole, of a woman wearing just a bra and knickers.

Who would live in a house like this?

In the picture the model, whose face cannot be seen, has her thumbs inside her knickers.

A member of the public who contacted the Advertising Standards Authority complained it suggested the model was performing an indecent act.

Bendon UK, which is responsible for the Elle Macpherson Intimates range of underwear, said the advert was inspired by the film Rear Window.

But the watchdog ruled that, because it implied the woman was involved in an indecent act, the advertisement was "likely to cause serious or widespread offence".