BBC presenter apologises over Soham murderer spoof

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) A BBC radio presenter apologised after running a spoof news item on his show saying Soham child killer Ian Huntley had been murdered in his prison cell.

The spoof was read out on Radio Two's Jeremy Vine Show yesterday as part of a discussion on what would happen if Britain were run by tabloid news editors.

As part of the debate, a newsreader read out mock stories the show's producers thought tabloids would be happy to see.

The opening item said Huntley had been murdered in his cell and that his killer would be rewarded with an honour by the Queen.

Huntley murdered 10-year-olds Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells in Soham, Cambridgeshire, in August 2002.

Journalists made calls to the Home Office and the police after rumours spread that Huntley had died, the BBC said.

Vine told listeners the BBC was sorry if it had misled them.

''We ran, labelled completely clearly, a bulletin of spoof news items which might happen if the country were to be run by tabloid news editors,'' Vine said on the BBC Web site.

He apologised for ''any offence this may have caused''.

Other mock news items on the lunchtime show included one saying that prisoners with life sentences would never be released and another saying health and safety laws would be scrapped.

Huntley was convicted of murdering the girls in December 2003 and jailed for 40 years.

Reuters SY GC0920