The controversial BBC Three sitcom Coming Of Age will not be returning for a fourth series, it has been confirmed.

A highly divisive programme, Coming Of Age has proved to be hugely popular and successful within its target audience, but regularly attracted bitter and vitriolic criticism from many others.

The news will come as a surprise to ratings-watchers: the recent Series 3, broadcast between January and March 2011, averaged a viewership of around 480,000, with repeats all amounting to more than 1 million, and incredibly strong iPlayer ratings to boot.

However, the new controller of BBC Three, Zai Bennett, felt that the series did not fit in with his vision for the future of the channel.

The show's writer and creator Tim Dawson told us: "Of course I'm incredibly proud of what Coming Of Age has achieved for BBC Three, and I'm delighted that a generation of teenagers took us to their hearts. I'm looking forward to delivering further popular sitcoms to the BBC."