Sex Pistols' God Save The Queen still causing offence

The Sex Pistols hit God Save The Queen upset radio watchdogs a quarter of a century after the band originally upset authorities with the controversial track.

Virgin Radio broadcast the song in April this year, just moments after a news item about the death of the Queen Mother.

The Radio Authority has upheld a complaint about the scheduling of the track, which it said breached its programme code.

Virgin said the music on the programme had been pre-recorded, with the news and weather slotted in later.

However the song was aired shortly after a report on how the Queen was planning to deliver a eulogy about her late mother.

The Radio Authority's rules say that recorded programmes should be checked before broadcast "to ensure that jokes or scenarios are not rendered tasteless by intervening events, such as death."

Virgin apologised for the incident, saying it was unintentional and "regrettable."