EAST Lancashire's Labour MPs today waded into the Robert Kilroy-Silk debate and rounded on the TV presenter for his comments on Arabs.

Ex-colleagues of the talk show host - also a former Labour MP - spoke after popular personality Jim Bowen defended Kilroy-Silk and called for an end to a culture of political correctness at the BBC.

Bowen also fell foul of language when he used the phrase "nig-nog" during a live broadcast for Radio Lancashire. He later quit the station after being pulled up by bosses.

Hyndburn MP Greg Pope criticised Kilroy-Silk and denied there had been an overreaction to his comments, made in a column for the Sunday Express. He said: "It isn't political correctness gone mad, this is a phrase that belongs only in the pages of the Daily Express.

"People should not be allowed to pick on any racial group and stigmatise them in such an ignorant and ill-informed manner."

His Burnley counterpart Peter Pike MP said: "I think that Robert Kilroy-Silk was wrong and his treatment was appropriate. If he made a similar comment about Jews, Welsh, or Scots there would have been outrage.

"He should've known better than to say what he did - the BBC was right."

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans also disagreed with Mr Bowen, saying: "I think Kilroy was out of order because his article was sloppily written.

"He tarred an entire nation of people as women repressors and mutilators. You can't do that. I think that political correctness has left the realm of commonsense, but the Kilroy-Silk case is not an example of it.

"Now he has apologised I think he should be allowed back on air."