THE author J G Ballard described Britain as "a sad little island" last night after Westminster city council refused to allow the film Crash, which is based on his novel and shows sado-masochists getting sexual pleasure from car crashes, to be shown at cinemas within its borders.
Westminster is the second local authority - Lanarkshire was the first - to ban the film. It prevents Crash, made by David Cronenberg, the Canadian director, being shown in most West End cinemas and it will disrupt Columbia TriStar's plans to release the film in up to 40 cinemas on June 6.
Singapore is the only other country to have banned Crash, which becomes the first film in this country for several years to fall foul of council censorship powers.
In a statement issued yesterday after nine Westminster councillors spent two hours discussing Crash, John Bull, chairman of the licensing (major issues) sub-committee, said they found the film "to be bordering on obscenity".
He added: "We accept that most mature adults would be likely to reject the message of the film." But he feared that immature, vulnerable people and those disposed to anti-social behaviour would be encouraged by it.
Fears that it could deprave and corrupt were "of particular concern in Westminster", he added, "where it is likely many young people who drift into London will visit the cinema without particularly planning which film to see".
After five months of agonised debate, the film was given an "18" certificate by the British Board of Film Classification last month. The board's classifications are, however, only advisory, and local authorities have power to ban screenings.
Several other councils have already approved the film but a number of others have been waiting for Westminster's verdict before making up their minds.
Westminster's stand is likely to hasten a review of council powers.
In the last few days, Chris Smith, the National Heritage Secretary, has written to Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, requesting that the Home Office surrender its control of council powers over film to the heritage department. Mr Smith has also hinted that a new Films Act may abolish or rationalise council powers.
Mr Ballard described Westminster's decision as "deplorable" and accused the council of "double standards".
He said: "They pass all sorts of Hollywood films with indescribable violence and simulated sex in them. Crash has very little violence and very little sex. It's a moral tale told in words.
"It's a warning against the entertainment culture that will go right over the heads of the yobbos who go around in hotted-up Sierras."
