BBC radio presenter Jeremy Vine apologised on air yesterday after his show ran a spoof news item saying that Soham murderer Ian Huntley had been murdered in his prison cell.

Vine, who presents The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2 between noon and 2pm, said the BBC was sorry if listeners had been misled by the item.

The spoof news item was read out by a newsreader during a discussion on what Britain would be like if it was run by tabloid newspaper editors.

Rumours spread around newsrooms that Huntley had died and led to journalists putting in check calls with the Home Office and the police.

"Some of our listeners may have been misled," Vine said at the end of today's show.

"We would like to apologise for any offence this may have caused."

Earlier, he had said that the item was clearly labelled as a spoof.

The spoof bulletin was featured during a debate about the influence newspaper editors have over Government ministers. As part of the discussion, a newsreader read out a list of news stories which the BBC thought tabloid editors might like to see.

Vine introduced the spoof bulletin by saying a news bulletin from "Radio two and a half" followed.

A newsreader's voice then read out the "spoof" news at 1.08pm.

The first item said Huntley had been killed in his prison cell and the people responsible would be "placed on the Queen's Honours list".

Other "spoof" news items included a headline about health and safety laws being scrapped, a headline about Britain no longer listening to the European Union and one saying that prisoners given life sentences would never be let out of jail.

"We were discussing what Britain would be like if it was run by tabloid news editors," Vine told listeners after it emerged that some listeners had thought that the item about Huntley was true.

"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."

Editor of the Prisons Handbook Mark Leech condemned Vine's actions.

"I think such spoofs are an absolute disgrace," said Mr Leech.

"Can you imagine the distress caused to a family member or friend of Ian Huntley who may have tuned in to the Vine programme and heard their friend or loved one was dead?

"It is the sickest of sick jokes."

A spokesman for Cambridgeshire Police, which investigated the Soham murders four years ago criticised t he BBC for being "irresponsible".

"We are concerned," he said.

"This item may have been heard only partially by any number of listeners giving the wholly false impression that the item was real.

"We have been put in the position of having to contact the families of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman to let them know that the item was intended to illustrate a debate on tabloid journalism and was not true."

He added: "We will be making our concerns known to the executive producer of the programme that this item was at least misguided." ..SUPL: