London, Mar 21: Google has removed several images from its new UK Street View application.

The firm was forced to pull some of the images from the street-mapping facility following complaints.

It is thought that the pictures removed contained revealing images of homes, a man entering a London sex shop, people being arrested and a man being sick.

"We''ve got millions of images, so the percentage removed was very small," Google''s Laura Scott told the BBC.

"We want this to be a useful tool and it''s people''s right to have their image removed. The fact there are now gaps [in Street View] shows how responsive we are," she added.

Street View was first launched in the United States in May 2007.

It is also available in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain and Italy.

The imagery available comprises video taken along 22,369 miles of UK streets by customised camera cars.

Offending photos have been replaced by a black image with the message "This image is no longer available". However, many of the images can still be viewed by moving up or down a notch on the street. (ANI)