London, Nov 4 (IANS): A Hong Kong protest-themed cake has been disqualified from a cake decorating competition in the UK, in a move that has been referred to as "political censorship", it was reported on Monday.

The entry by a baker from the 3rd Space cafe in Hong Kong included fake tear gas and a figure made to look like a typical protester clad in black and wearing a hard hat. It also featured protest symbols including umbrellas and a Guy Fawkes mask.

It was inspired by the "streets (of) Hong Kong", a spokesperson for the cafe told the BBC.

"The design was simply an expression of what is happening at the moment in Hong Kong," the spokesperson said, adding the cafe believed that the cake was pulled after complaints from Chinese competitors.

A music box was also placed inside the cake that played "Glory to Hong Kong"- a tune which has been adopted as the unofficial anthem of the protests - on loop.

Cake International, first decided to turn the music off, before later sending the baker an email telling them that the cake would be "removed", said 3rd space.

But the Birmingham competition's organisers later released a statement saying the cake was disqualified as one of its elements - a fondant umbrella - had hung over the "allowed area".

"Oversized exhibits will be disqualified. This entry was not removed as a political statement," the BBC quoted Cake International as saying in a Facebook post.

The cake was one of many displayed this year at the Cake International competition, held in Birmingham from November 1-3.

It draws competitors from all over the world.

The Hong Kong protests, which have been drawing massive crowds since June following a contentious proposed extradition law, have mutated into a movement that seeks to improve the democratic mechanisms that govern the city and safeguard the region's partial autonomy from China.

However, some demonstrators have opted for more radical tactics than peaceful civil disobedience and violent clashes with the police have been frequent.