Ikea has been accused of cowardice after removing a British lesbian couple from the Russian edition of its monthly magazine.(Magazine holder)

The December issue of the magazine, which will be distributed in most countries in which Ikea operates, contains a long feature about the lives of Clara and Kirsty, a Dorset-based lesbian couple and their Ikea-filled interiors.(Cosmetic Display) "We're two mums bringing up our baby boy in Clara's loft," says Kirsty in the story. "We're not your average family in your average home, but if my nan can raise two sons in a tiny caravan, we can make it work in our little loft."(Cosmetic Display)

Russian Ikea shoppers, however, will be shielded from information about the lives of the two British lesbians, in case it is deemed to fall foul of the country's controversial new law banning "homosexual propaganda".

A spokeswoman for Ikea confirmed to Sweden's Aftonbladet newspaper that the article had been changed over fears it could fall foul of Russia's gay propaganda laws. "That's the reason why Russia has another article," she said. "We have two guiding principles in the communication we distribute from Ikea. The first is home interior design. The second is following the law."(Cosmetic Display)

Ikea is hugely popular in Moscow and other big cities, where middle-class Russians snap up its cheap, sleek furniture to bring a taste of Scandinavia to Soviet-era apartments. The company says it took the decision not to publish the article after consulting Russian lawyers.

The vaguely worded law, which bans the dissemination of "homosexual propaganda among minors" has come in for international criticism. (Cosmetic Display)The president, Vladimir Putin, defended the law this week and said it should not be used to persecute anybody, but Russian gay activists say it has contributed to a climate of increased homophobia and attacks on gay people.