'The Office' blasted by Suicide Prevention

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention has blasted The Office for a recent episode.

The offending scene saw Steve Carell's character Michael Scott trying to scare young children by struggling in a noose.

The AFSP have said that such scenes may encourage mentally ill people to take their own lives, and has urged broadcasters to stop using suicide in a comedic sense.

The foundation's executive director Robert Gebbia said: "We try not to be zealots about this. But this one kind of crossed the line.

"We're not trying to be censors or fall into the trap of wanting everything to be PC, politically correct. But on the other hand, it's offensive to some people who have lost relatives to suicide by hanging."

The Office continues Thursdays at 9pm on NBC.