Campaigners against violent videogames may soon begin complaining that the Nintendo DS’ stylus could become a weapon. That’s because a Grand Theft Auto spin-off is being created for the handheld console.

GTA: China Town Wars will be based in Liberty City, rather than just off London's Leicester Square, and is described as an "entirely original" entry into the GTA videogame franchise.

Gamers will use the DS’ touchscreen to navigate their way through the sprawling environment, until they “uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate”.

Little else is known about the game yet, but developer Rockstar has confirmed that the DS game will boast new characters. It’s thought the DS game will appear this winter in both Europe and the US.