LONDON - Comic book character Dennis the Menace has had his trusty catapult, water pistol, and peashooter confiscated by BBC bosses in their new cartoon series.

Dennis is also no longer allowed to pick on geeky Walter, and is not slippered by his dad as a punishment.

Even his dog Gnasher has been targeted. He will no longer sink his teeth in people or engage in his trademark wanton destruction.

And he will look less menacing, with his scowl replaced by a charming boyish grin.

In the new series, which launches next month on CBBC, Dennis has been “re-imagined” to look less aggressive.

He now gets in scrapes by dreaming up contraptions that end up causing mayhem.

In one episode he turns Gnasher into a cleaning device to tidy up after he cooks, but the house ends up covered in filth.

“Dennis can’t be seen to use weapons and giving other kids grief in a BBC cartoon. The BBC doesn’t want to be accused of encouraging children to be violent,” the Sun quoted an insider as saying.

But the move has angered purists as the comic, launched in 1951, still has Dennis getting up to his old tricks.

“The cartoon sounds a bit silly. I want to see Dennis like he is in the comic, not boring like other cartoons,” fan Mark Turgoose, 10, of Sheffield, said.

Jim Stewart, 64, of Salisbury, Wilts, who has been reading the comic since its launch, is very much against the new image.

“It’s ridiculous. Dennis is supposed to be a little bit edgy and a bit of a loveable rogue,” he added. (ANI)