Fireman Sam forced to apologise for defacing the Quran
The creators of Fireman Sam have been forced to apologise after airing an episode which shows a firefighter slip on a page of the Quran.
Keen-eyed viewers spotted the page while watching the ninth series of the children's program in the UK and complained to management.
Channel 5 immediately pulled the episode from its streaming site and issued an apology.
"It has been brought to our attention that in an episode of Fireman Sam (Series 9, Episode 7), an image of the Quran is briefly depicted," the apology said.
"The page was intended to show illegible text and we deeply regret this error. We sincerely apologise for any distress or offense it may have caused."
The spokesperson said the creators had cut ties with the animation studio responsible for the blunder.
"In addition, we are taking immediate action to remove this episode from circulation and we are reviewing our content production procedures to ensure this never happens again," the spokesperson said.
"Again, we apologise unreservedly to our viewers."
Britain's secretary of state Liz Truss said she will launch an immediate inquiry into the Fireman Sam religious intolerance stating "we cant have children exposed to such hate scenes".
Fireman Sam is one of the most children's programs around the world.
It is already translated in 36 different languages to cater to the global demand.
In the episode, a firefighter carrying a tray of tea trips on a pile of papers, which go flying.
One of those pages is seen to be a script from the Quran - the central religious text of Islam.
