BBC says sorry for presenter's teddy gaffe

The BBC has apologised after a radio presenter joked live on air that freed British schoolteacher Gillian Gibbons had a dog named Mohammed.

Frances Finn, 35, who presents BBC Radio Nottingham's mid-morning show, made the gaffe in a conversation with a guest.

Mrs Gibbons was freed from a Sudanese prison after being jailed for allowing her seven-year-old pupils to give the teddy the same name as the Islamic prophet.

A BBC spokeswoman said: "She (Frances Finn) said 'Gillian Gibbons' son is at the airport and is pleased to see her and I am sure her dog, Mohammed, is very pleased to see her as well'."

In a statement, the spokeswoman added that Finn "made an off-the-cuff remark during an item on the release of Gillian Gibbons".

"Although it was far from the presenter's intention to cause offence, the remark was ill-judged and entirely inappropriate. The BBC would like to apologise for the offence the remark will have caused to listeners."

Najeeb Nazir, 34, who works at Nottingham's Pakistan Centre, made the original complaint to the BBC.

He said he'd taken offence against what he described as a deliberate joke against Mohammed.

He said: "I disagree with what the Sudanese did with that lady (Mrs Gibbons), which was in the extreme. But if people deliberately make a joke to offend a religious figurehead then it's very offensive.

"Muslims do hold the Prophet Mohammed in very high regard. He is the messenger of God and central to Islam.

"To make a joke on the back of what happened with the teddy bear in Sudan is frankly appalling and for that to happen on the BBC is very bad."