Comedian Marcus Brigstocke has apologised for joking about Orthodox Jews having sex through a sheet.

In an interview with Metro to promote his book "The God Collar", the Have I Got News For You star was asked about any religious trivia he had encountered researching the book – which is about atheism.

Mr Brigstocke said: "Orthodox Jews make love to each other though a hole in a sheet, which other than a Halloween night prank seems a bit ridiculous to me."

Twitter users pointed out to Mr Brigstocke that this was an antisemitic myth. Antony Jackson wrote: "Orthodox Jews don't and never have made love through a sheet. It is another antisemitic rumour to make Jews seem weird.

"Tzitzit is a religious garment worn daily, about the size of a small sheet, with a hole in the middle & strings on the corners. If you saw that drying outside and had no frame of reference, what would you think? It might have been useful to check that rumour with an Orthodox Jew before writing it."

Mr Brigstocke responded: "I'm so sorry to have said something so stupid and badly researched. I'm trying to correct this."

He later tweeted: "I said something stupid, wrong and potentially damaging in a 'Metro' interview today - re: Jews making love through a sheet I'm very sorry."