An advertisement against domestic violence starring Hollywood actress Keira Knightley has been banned from British television on grounds that it was too violent.

The Pirates Of The Caribbean star plays an actress returning home from a film set to be confronted by a violent boyfriend who accuses her of having an affair with a co-star, before attacking and knocking her to the floor, reports said.

The ad, made for UK charity Women's Aid, ends with Knightley being repeatedly kicked on the floor. Advertising approval body Clearcast has deemed the scene too violent for broadcast.

The ad, called The Cut, was launched in British cinemas this month but will only air on television if scenes showing Knightley being thrown to the floor and beaten are removed.