Disney+ has pulled James Cameron's The Abyss from its streaming service amid complaints over a controversial scene.

The Hollywood film, released in 1989, explored a classified mission led by Ed Harris' character to salvage a sunken nuclear submarine. However, the film sparked outrage upon its release due to footage showing a rat being submerged in fluorocarbon liquid.

Despite reports that the rats involved survived, the scene has long been prohibited from UK cinema screenings and physical media releases.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) took advice from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) over the scene as the charity said: "the forcible immersion of the rat ... caused terror".

This prohibition extended across theatrical runs as well as Blu-Ray and DVD versions within the UK. Television channels must also adhere to the Ofcom Broadcasting Code - which states no material cut refused classification by the BBFC may be broadcast to viewers - meaning the scene should also not be aired on traditional TV.

Yet, streaming services such as Disney+ are not strictly governed by these rules and had included the original scene in their offering of The Abyss. It wasn't until renewed concerns were voiced by the RSPCA that Disney+ opted to remove the film from its digital shelves, reports .

David Bowles, the RSPCA's Head of Public Affairs, commented: "This isn't about cancel culture - we'd welcome Disney Plus reinstating the film to their platform, just with this troubling scene removed - as is already the case in cinemas, on TV, and on DVD."

He further explained: "This was instead about highlighting a loophole that currently exists allowing animal abuse scenes deemed unacceptable elsewhere to be streamed freely and legally into our homes - and protecting the public from having to see this animal abuse content.

"The Abyss' controversial rat scene has long concerned the RSPCA, and has always been deemed unacceptable by BBFC - so it was hard to fathom why Disney+ decided to broadcast it."

Bowles also stated: "People deserve to be assured they will not be inadvertently exposed to content which promotes or showcases cruelty to animals; and as the way most households consume entertainment changes, regulations must be agile to that and continue to robustly protect animals."

The RSPCA anticipates that the upcoming Media Act will introduce a "degree of consistency" regarding animal abuse content across various media platforms. Mr Bowles concluded: "We hope a new code of conduct under the Media Act will help close this loophole.

"Disney Plus seemingly opting to later remove this film highlights how we need a system that introduces a degree of consistency between streaming platforms and other forms of more traditional entertainment, so people can have confidence when watching films and other shows.

"It doesn't make sense that we have robust safeguards for animal-related content shown in cinemas, on DVDs or on traditional television channels - yet those protections could go out the window when you turn on a major streaming service. We can't backtrack now on what society deems is acceptable in terms of how we treat animals."