Adverts portraying gender stereotypes such as women being bad drivers and men not doing housework are to be banned under new politically correct rules.

The Committees of Advertising Practice, which regulates adverts in the UK, has today laid out how new rules designed to tackle harmful gender stereotypes in adverts are likely to be interpreted in practice.

Following a year-long inquiry the Advertising Standards Authority developed a set of tougher standards on adverts which portray "potentially harmful" gender stereotypes.

Examples considered to be no longer acceptable include new mothers having to keep up appearances, people with certain physiques being rejected on dates, and men being inept at performing "women's tasks" like cleaning or changing nappies.