Viewers complain of 'rising glamorisation' in Crimewatch reconstructions

But now Crimewatch is facing accusations of dumbing down and glamourising violence amid a string of complaints about reconstructions on the show.

The programme presented by Nick Ross and Fiona Bruce, has come under fire for "stylised" and "gratutious" potrayals of violence in recent months.

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Viewers have complained that the programme is moving away from its traditional roots of helping the police with their inquries and is in danger of turning into a morbid form of entertainment - dubbed "crim-u-tainment".

Despite the fact that presenter Ross and his co-presenters on Crimewatch have been reassuring viewers with the phrase "don't have nightmares" for many years, the programme is being accused of adding to the climate of fear with its sensationalist reconstructions of violent and sexual assaults.

BBC producers on the show, which airs just after the watershed, have been accused of portraying crimes more like US dramas and using dramatic devices like "creepy music" on the show to make it more "entertaining".

Whilst many accept the corporation may be trying to shock witnesses into coming forward with the graphic portrayals, others say producers have crossed the line and are now taking a "lowest common demoniator" approach to getting audiences.

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This month's episode showed footage of intruders attacking a married couple with a spade, one of whom was murdered in the attack, as well as a brutal attack on a policeman on a bus.

Many viewers on the BBC's message-boards complained that the reconstructions had gone too far.

One viewer, after seeing the programme, said: "Each reconstruction seems to be less about imparting important facts and details that may help solve a crime and more about the director, producer and editor trying to enhance their CVs by making homilies to Guy Ritchie or 24 or whichever American drama they have been watching.

"The managers of the BBC really need to get hold of the silly beggars that are making this programme and tell then what the point of the show is - to aid the police in solving crime.

"We don't need little movie-lets, we need facts and details that might solve a crime and put a criminal behind bars." Viewers have questioned whether the the new hard-edged depiction of violence in reconstructions will actually help solve any more crimes.

They have also suggested that the programme is in danger of devaluing the reality of the crimes with its approach.

One said: "I can't watch this programme anymore - they don't need to show so much gratuitous violence in the name of trying to catch criminals."

Another viewer complained: "Do you think it is OK to show these images of someone being beaten half senseless and within 10 minutes of the 9pm watershed?"

Crimewatch, which broadcasts once a month, launched in 1984 with presenters Nick Ross and Sue Cook and was originally commissioned for just four programmes.

Ross co-presents the show with Bruce, who took on the role after Jill Dando was murdered in 1999.

On average 1,000 people call the BBC studio on the show and the various incident rooms as a result of the appeals.

A BBC spokesman claimed there had only been about ten official complaints since February about the show.

He said the reconstructions needed to reflect the seriousness of the crime and to get witnesses to come forward.

He said: "The realistic portrayal of crime used in the reconstructions was carefully considered in order to convey the reality and seriousness of an incident, in the hope that potential witnesses come forward."

He added that since February alone there had been 14 arrests as a result of Crimewatch, three of which were through the use of reconstructions.