COUNTY councillors have criticised a decision that meant extracts from a Channel 4 documentary on sex education weres blocked from being broadcast on a live webcast of a Kent County Council meeting.

Councillors said the decision made them look out of touch and after viewing the footage, said there had been nothing offensive about it.

But it later emerged the decision was partly because of copyright issues. At the time, members were told it would not be broadcast because it might be seen by children.

Members were discussing a cross-party report whose recommendations include a call for for Kent schools to begin sex education much earlier.

The report said teenage pregnancies could fall dramatically if Kent schools were prepared to follow the approach adopted in Holland, where sex education in schools begins for pupils when they are six.

As part of the debate during Tuesday's full council meeting, councillors viewed edited extracts from "Let's Talk Sex" - a programme first broadcast by Channel 4 last year and originally made for schools.

Hosted by Davinia McCall, it investigated how sex education was taught in the Netherlands and the success the country has had in limiting teenage pregnancies.

But while councillors were able to watch the extracts, the footage was not shown on KCC's live webcast of its meeting.

County council chairman Cllr Leyland Ridings told the meeting he had been advised some of the footage should not be shown when children might be watching.

But during the debate that followed, several councillors said the decision had been wrong.

Cllr Keith Ferrin (Con), a member of KCC’s cabinet, said: "There was nothing in it that would have had broken the U-certificate at the cinema. It illustrates to me how out of touch we are with our young people in Kent."

He was backed by Cllr Dr Tony Robinson (Con), who said: "I do not know why the webcast was turned off. Surely we should have been bold about it?"

A council spokeswoman said Channel 4 had only given permission for the extracts to be shown in the council chamber.