US soft drinks company PepsiCo have withdrawn an advert amid claims it is "arguably the most racist commercial in history" and glorifies violence against women.

The online advert for the drink Mountain Dew shows a battered white woman on crutches being urged to identify a suspect from a line-up of black men and a goat.

The talking goat, named Felicia, threatens to beat the woman if she identifies him to police, saying: "Ya better not snitch on a playa." The woman then runs away screaming: "I can't do this, no no no."

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The dialogue used in the video, which was developed by African-American rapper Tyler the Creator, is an apparent word play on 'Dew It' - the slogan used to promote the drink.

PepsiCo has since apologised for the 60-second ad which Dr Boyce D. Watkins, an author and political analyst, described as "arguably the most racist commercial in history."

"Mountain Dew has set a new low for corporate racism," Dr Watkins writes on his blog Your Black World.

"Their decision to lean on well-known racial stereotypes is beyond disgusting".

Commentators were also offended by the casual treatment of violence against women in the ad

In a statement yesterday, PepsiCo said that it took "full responsibility" for any offence caused by commercial and had removed the ad from its online channels.