Parents' fury as channel Five screens advert for Mormons in middle of children's show

Under broadcasting regulations, religious advertising is banned during children's programmes and now a broadcasting watchdog is investigating why the channel allowed the religious group to screen the commercial during Milkshake!, a morning show watched by children as young as two.

The commercial, which featured a crucifixion scene, included a phone number to ring for a free DVD outlining Mormon beliefs.

The group, which is formally known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and is associated with the practice of multiple marriage, professes not to target its teachings at under-18-year-olds.

But when a ten-year-old boy, acting on behalf of The Mail on Sunday, called the number on Friday and requested a DVD, the operator sent one out to him despite being clearly informed of his age.

The one-minute advert was shown at 9.30am last Saturday, in a break between animated shows Fifi And The Flowertots and Jane And The Dragon.

It included scenes of Christ on the Cross and showed the DVD cover and a freephone number to call.

Our caller, named Michael, rang the number and the operator asked him if he was calling for the Mormon DVD.

When Michael said he was, the operator asked for his postcode, street name, house number, name and age.

Then, despite being told he was only ten, the operator said: "Thanks for calling, Michael, I'll put the DVD in the post to you today."

The 29-minute film portrays Bible scenes and recounts Christ's teachings.

John Beyer, director of Mediawatch, has now called for a tightening of procedures.

"The Advertising Standards Authority should introduce safeguards to prevent this happening again," he said.

A spokeswoman for the ASA said that its compliance team was investigating the case.

Religious advertising is categorised alongside alcohol, bingo, slimming products and lotteries as "products" which cannot be advertised during children's programmes.

The Mormon Church, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, was established in 1830 and has nearly 13million followers worldwide - 180,000 of them in the UK.

Its 96-year-old president, Gordon B. Hinckley, is regarded by members as God ,s prophet on Earth.

A health code requires Mormons to abstain from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, tea and recreational drugs, and to fast on the first Sunday of the month by going without food and drink for two consecutive meals.

Although the church officially renounced polygamy in 1890, up to 40,000 fundamentalists still practise it in rural areas.

The founder, Joseph Smith, took more than 30 wives in his life.

Famous Mormons include singers Donny Osmond and Gladys Knight and comedienne Roseanne Barr.

A channel Five spokeswoman said the screening had been an accident.

"An administrative error beyond our control led to an advertisement for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being broadcast in the children's strand," she said.

"This will not be shown during children's airtime again."

A Mormon spokesman said: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is disappointed to learn that the national television network C5 has broadcast one of its advertisements at an inappropriate time and without approval.

"Since learning that an independent contractor has agreed to send on our behalf the DVD Finding Faith In Christ to a minor we have taken immediate action to ensure that this does not happen again."