The Conservatives have attacked a forthcoming BBC film about the 1984-85 miners' strike as "wholly partial and one-sided" and called for it to be dropped from the schedule.

John Whittingdale, the party's culture spokesman, said the film should not be shown so close to the likely date of the general election.

"It contains consistently negative images of the police, security services and Margaret Thatcher's government while ignoring the violence and intimidation suffered by those who wanted to work," he said.