Brazil judge removes 'Fifty Shades of Grey' from town's shops

A judge in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro state has confiscated copies of wildly-popular trilogy "Fifty Shades of Grey" and other erotic books from two stores, saying proprietors must seal the novels to prevent children leafing through them.

Police and judicial officials in the Rio town of Macae seized 64 books including 11 copies of the "Fifty Shades of Grey" series by British author E.L. James after the shops flouted Brazilian laws by failing to conceal erotic images and content deemed inappropriate for under-18s.

Officials will return the books within five days if the bookshop proprietors ensure they are sealed before being put back on display.

Judge Raphael Baddini de Queiroz Campos from the local family tribunal acted after finding a group of children gathered around a window display at one of the town's bookshops where erotic content was on display, the Rio de Janeiro justice service's web site said.