Madrid  - Spain's new Defence Minister Carme Chacon, the first woman to hold the portfolio, has come under criticism for restricting internet access from army headquarters to leisure websites, media reported Friday.

Employees at the defence ministry and the headquarters of the army, navy and air force will no longer be able to spend working hours reading websites of sports dailies, gossipy magazines with sexy pictures of women, or auction companies.

The measures were aimed at preventing an internet overload, the ministry said, describing them as similar to those adopted at other public institutions or private companies.

The soldiers' association Aume, however, accused Chacon of censorship. "It seems there is a desire to treat soldiers like children," the daily El Pais quoted Aume secretary-general Mariano Casado as saying.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero reportedly aroused some resentment in military circles by giving the defence portfolio to Chacon, who has become known as the world's first defence minister in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Zapatero appointed a female-dominated cabinet after taking his second consecutive election victory in March. (dpa)