The upcoming film — based on the children’s book, The Hunger Games — has been cut so that younger viewers can see it.

The film, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, is set in a near future, where twenty four teenagers from poor, rural communities have to fight to the death until only one survives, for the entertainment of the wealthy.

With bloody fight scenes, The Hunger Games was originally facing a 15 certificate, that would have meant much of its teenaged target audience would have been barred from seeing it, so the distributors, Lions Gate UK, agreed to edit the film to get a lower rating.

Seven seconds, featuring violence and injuries, were cut from the film to allow it to qualify for a 12A certificate, allowing younger children to see it.

The British Board of Film Classification said that as well as making cuts, the distributors had digitally removed blood splashes and the sight of blood on wounds and weapons.

The film – based on the first novel of a trilogy by Suzanne Collins – opens on 23rd March.