Plans to bring back Little Britain for a new series on Netflix have reportedly been shelved due to the fallout of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Previous series of the comedy sketch show were pulled from the streaming service last week amid increasing pressure on broadcasters to remove shows that involved the use of blackface.

Earlier this year it was reported that Matt Lucas and David Walliams had held talks with Netflix about a comeback and even though controversial characters such as Emily Howard and Ting Tong were due to be axed anyway, the negative publicity surrounding the show has led to the idea being scrapped.

"Netflix bosses were really keen to make a new series of Little Britain. The plan was to give Matt and David even more license to be controversial," a source told the Daily Star.

"But the current row about blackface and racist jokes on TV shows mean that just won't be possible now.

"In the current climate, Netflix can't be seen to be championing offensive comedy. The chances of any revival at this stage are slim-to-none."

Lucas and Walliams have issued a joint apology for their use of blackface on Little Britain and follow-up show Come Fly With Me, which has also been removed.