BBC News has denied broadcasting a sectarian chant on its Northern Irish channel.
There has been outrage on social media after a clip posted on Twitter appeared to show football fans shouting a discriminatory expletive.
The video was from a BBC Northern Ireland report on Chelsea fans arriving in Belfast for the team’s Uefa Super Cup tie versus Villareal.
Aired on the Newsline show on BBC One, Chelsea supporters were heard singing along to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, which has long been sung by Northern Irish football fans.
However, social media users were adamant that the lyrics had been adapted to include a slur about the Pope.
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The BBC rejected suggestions that it had broadcast sectarian language.
A spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph: “We are confident that there was no audio of swearing on our programme tonight.
“However we accept that we cannot be sure of the intentions of everyone in the video and for that reason we will not run the clip again.”
Chelsea won the match, played at Windsor Park, on penalties.
Before the game, some of the club’s supporters were led to the ground by a loyalist flute band.
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