BBC sorry for Alan Ball joke

Allan Beswick, lunchtime presenter at BBC Radio Manchester generated two listener complaints yesterday after his comments about the death of Alan Ball. "At least we know he's no good at putting out fires" was the comment, for which he apologised on-air last night during a special tribute programme.

Allan's comments were made after it emerged that the football legend and father of three had suffered a heart attack while trying to put out a compost fire in the garden of his home.

Daily listeners to his show would put the comments down to his regular sense of humour, but one listener said the comments were "sick".

A BBC spokeswoman said: "The BBC apologises for the offence that may have been caused by Allan Beswick's comments. Regular listeners will know his sideways take on events, but on this occasion his comments were ill-judged and wholly inappropriate. They were, however, made in the context of a day of programming on BBC Radio Manchester paying tribute to one of England's greatest sporting heroes.''


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