The BBC has scrapped plans to broadcast a ballet due to be shown over Christmas. However, after learning about the graphic sexual nature of the ballet, it was pulled out. It features scenes of a hunchback Pope garroting a pregnant woman with rosary beads.

The ballet is title ‘Eternal Damnation To Sancho And Sanchez’ by Javier de Frutos. The ballet is centred on a group of priests and a fictional hunchback Pope, who rapes eunuchs and pregnant nuns.

The Daily Star quoted a BBC spokesman as saying “When we announced we were showing it we weren’t fully aware of the details. But the material isn’t suitable for pre-watershed broadcast”.

He further added ‘Theatre critics said it is violent, lurid and deliberately offensive.’