Make Poverty History (MPH), hailed as one of the most effective lobbying campaigns ever with its simple message and signature white wrist band, has been banned from television and radio advertising in Britain.

The campaign features an array of stars clicking their fingers to ram home the message that a child dies of preventable poverty every three seconds.

Advertising watchdog Ofcom says the goals of the campaign are political and therefore outlawed.

“We have reached the unavoidable conclusion that MPH is a body whose objects are ‘wholly or mainly’ political as defined under the Act”, Ofcom says.

“MPH is therefore prohibited from advertising on television or radio.”

Make Poverty History, an amalgam of 530 charities and aid groups that is part of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty, says it regrets the decision.

“The millions of people who are wearing a white band or taking action as part of a campaign do not see this as a narrow party-political issue”, MPH said.

The organisation was created last year with the single goal of persuading the governments of the Group of Eight industrialised countries to write off billions of dollars in debt owed by the world’s poorest countries.