A series of TV ads for hair styling equipment which used part of the Lord's Prayer alongside "eroticised" images of women praying were judged to be offensive to Christians by the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) last week.

The authority upheld a total of 23 complaints, including one from the Archdeacon of Liverpool, made about three ads for the ghd IV styler.

In its ruling, the ASA said Jemella Ltd, which sells the styler, was likely to have caused serious offence to Christians by using the phrase "thy will be done" with images of a model praying, another carrying a candle and one wearing lingerie while clasping beads in apparent supplication.