UKIP song pulled by its author, BBC's Mike Read, after racism claims
Mock Caribbean accent and references to illegal immigrants featured in song for anti-EU party
The author of a song intended to boost the anti-EU UK Independence Party before British elections next year said he was withdrawing the track from sale after racism allegations.
UKIP wants to sharply curb immigration and the song, Ukip Calypso, spoke of "illegal immigrants" in every town, while praising Nigel Farage, the party's leader. Mike Read, a BBC radio presenter who wrote the track, performed it with a mock Caribbean accent.
Farage had urged supporters to buy the song to propel it to the top spot in the British music charts. But on Wednesday, after a backlash on social media, Read said he had asked his record company to pull it from sale.
"I'm so sorry that the song unintentionally caused offence. That was never my intention and I apologise unreservedly if anyone has taken offence," said Read, who said he had not intended the song to be racist and was not racist himself.
UKIP, which wants Britain to leave the European Union, won European elections in Britain in May.
It has poached two lawmakers from Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives, and has boosted its support in opinion polls to record levels before a national election in May.