The news comes as the body that decided on the title's PEGI-16 rating reacts with fury over "grossly innacurate" national media coverage of the game.

RoR, which was published by Sony in other territories, was due to be released across the EU today.

'Following discussions with our retail and publishing partners, 505 Games has taken the decision not to publish Rule of Rose in the UK at this time,' said the publisher in a statement this morning.

In today's MCV, The Video Standards Council reveals its anger with two news stories in editions of last week’s Daily Mail and The Times newspapers. Both quoted EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini as questioning the PEGI rating.

VSC secretary general Laurie Hall told MCV: “I have no idea where the suggestion of in-game sadomasochism has come from, nor children being buried underground. These are things that have been completely made up.”

Both articles appeared after EU justice commissioner Franco Frattini said:  “[Rule Of Rose] has shocked me profoundly with its obscene cruelty and brutality.”

The Times said RoR’s 19-year-old heroine Jennifer is ‘beaten, gagged and buried alive’ and mentioned ‘alleged overtones of lesbianism and sadomasochism’. It also discussed ‘among other horrors, a rat being pushed into a girl’s face’.

“There isn’t any underage eroticism,” added Hall. “And the most violent scene does indeed see one of the young girls scare Jennifer with a rat on a stick. But the rat’s actually quite placid towards her and even licks her face.”

“I wouldn’t call the game violent. We’re not worried about our integrity being called into question, because Mr. Frattini’s quotes are nonsense.”