BBC won’t play Thatcher ‘witch’ song in full

The BBC was accused of “caving in” to pressure after ruling it would broadcast just five seconds of Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead during Sunday’s chart run-down.

Britain’s public broadcaster refused to ban the song outright after anti-Margaret Thatcher campaigners sent it soaring into the charts following the death of the former prime minister.

The BBC said it would only play a clip of the 74-year-old song as part of a “news item” on its weekly Radio 1 chart show after the campaign pushed it into the UK top 10 list to “celebrate” Thatcher’s death.