The president of Poland, Aleksander Kwasniewski, has refused to sign into law a bill banning hard and soft-core pornography.

The ban had already been approved by the Polish parliament; it outlawed the import and distribution of pornography, with violators facing fines and jail terms of up to two years.

Mr Kwasniewski had earlier said that an effective fight against pornography could only be carried out through proper education, including sex education.

An aide to the president said that there were fears that the bill would be difficult to enforce, undermining the state's credibility. One rightwing group the Christian National Union has said that Mr Kwasniewski's failure to approve the law would contribute to Poland's moral decline.