BBC apologises to Queen over Hamza remarks
By Charles Maggs Follow @charlesmaggs
The BBC has apologised to the Queen for revealing her concerns about the UKs inability to lock up radical cleric Abu Hamza
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner revealed on the Today programme this morning that the monarch was frustrated that Hamza seemed to be able to preach his hate sermons in Britain.
"She spoke to the home secretary at the time and said, surely this man must have broken some laws. Why is he still at large? He was conducting these radical activities and he called Britain a toilet," Gardner reported.
"He was incredibly anti-British and yet he was sucking up money from this country for a long time. He was a huge embarrassment to Muslims, who condemned him."
It has since emerged that it was a private conversation which should not have been reported.
It's the second time in recent years that the BBC has apologised to the Queen.
In 2007 the Beeb said sorry for 'misrepresenting' the monarch in an advert for a documentary which appeared to show the Queen 'storming out' of a photo shoot.
The European court of human rights announced yesterday that Hamza can be deported to face fresh charges in the US once his sentence for inciting racial hatred comes to an end here in the UK.
The announcement should finally draw a line under a lengthy legal fiasco which will please both the Home Office and their American counterparts.
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