The BBC is facing a fresh controversy after a rap artist performed a track on a popular Radio 1 show which contained an attack on Zionists.

Lowkey - who is a patron of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign - ranted against "zombies and Zionists" during his live appearance on the station's Charlie Sloth show on Saturday night.

After performing his "freestyle" 15-minute rap on the show, Mr Sloth hailed the content of the song, saying: "I feel like I've just been to university for five years".

Lowkey's reference to "zombies and Zionists" came in lyrics which attacked an alleged powerful elite of "neo-cons".

The rapper declined to comment on his use of the word 'Zionists' in the rap.

Footage of the performance has been shared on YouTube with the lyrics being praised by pro-Jeremy Corbyn website The Skwawkbox.

Lowkey, whose real name is Kareem Dennis, has previously made his anti-Zionist stance public on tracks such as Long Live Palestine, in which he sings: "You say you know about the Zionist lobby. But you put money in their pocket when you're buying their coffee. Talking about revolution, sitting in Starbucks."

In 2009 Lowkey, whose mother is Iraqi and father English. was questioned at Tel Aviv airport as he entered Israel.

He said at the time he had received a "minuscule fraction of the degradation Palestinian people are subjected to on a daily basis”.

The Charlie Sloth show has proved so popular that BBC has recently handed the presenter a further weekday evening slot.

On Monday night  BBC presenter Reggie Yates announced he was stepping down as host of the Christmas Top Of the Pops show over offensive remarks about Jews in the music business that he had made on an internet podcast last month.

 This article and the headline have been amended to remove the incorrect suggestion that Lowkey referred to the “kosher nostra” during his rap