BBC DJ won't play The Pogues' Fairytale of New York

DJ Alex Dyke from BBC Radio Solent on the south coast ranted to listeners that he was “no longer comfortable” with having the "nasty" Pogues' festive hit on his playlist.

Prior to hosting his afternoon show, Dyke had tweeted that he wanted the song - regularly voted the nation's favourite Christmas number - banned.

"Radio, let’s ban Fairytale Of New York this Christmas!" he wrote. “'You’re a slut on junk, you scumbag, cheap lousy faggot' - is this what we want our kids singing in the back of the car?

Do you agree the song should be banned or do you love it? Let us know in the comments below.

"It’s an offensive pile of down market chav bilge. We can do better!" Accompanying the tweet was a picture of Pogues' frontman, Shane MacGowan, famous for his missing teeth, alcohol and drug problems and dishevelled appearance.

Later, while presenting his show, Dyke moaned: “I hope I'm not going to ruin your Christmas, but I’ve decided that I am no longer comfortable with playing Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl.

BBC Radio Solent DJ Alex Dyke. Picture: Solent News & Photo Agency

“I think Christmas songs should be about excited children, toys, Christmas trees, snowy streets, ski lodges, reindeer, wrapping paper, Santa, family, peace on earth and love.

“I just find the Pogues’ Fairytale of New York a nasty, nasty song."

In the three-minute long rant, he justified his decision to axe the song by saying he was “making a stand for the good of the people”.

He added: “I just think that this guy, this toothless drunk, ruining the romantic image of New York city with a song about heroin is not on.

“I don’t like the lyrics 'you’re bum, you’re a punk, you’re a slut on junk' - I think that’s absolutely awful.

“I don’t like 'you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot' – I find that offensive, I find that an offensive pile of down market bilge."

He concluded that he doesn’t want to think of kids sitting in the back of cars listening to the radio and singing along to lyrics that use derogatory wording such as “slut” and “faggot”.

He ended: “I think it should be banned, I really do, so I won’t be playing this record on the radio of this Christmas.”

Fairytale of New York - originally released in 1987 - has sold close to 1.5 million copies and is officially the UK's most played Christmas song.

In 2007, BBC Radio 1 edited out the words "faggot" and "slut" from the song. But the station quickly backtracked on the decision following a backlash from listeners.

Dyke later read out some of the reactions from listeners of the south coast station, with one questioning if he had a sense of humour, while another said: “You’re just a miserable old git."

One listener, however, agreed and congratulated him on the decision to ban the 1980s record.

Meanwhile, Dyke simply responded: “I’m just trying to make life better for you guys, I really am.”

The outspoken radio broadcaster came under fire in 2015 after he was suspended from the BBC over “appalling” comments he made on air about breastfeeding.

During his phone-in show the DJ voiced that breastfeeding was “unnatural” and “has to be stopped” in public – leading to an online petition signed by 6,000 supporters calling for him to be taken off air.

A BBC Spokesperson said: “This was Alex’s decision. There is no ban. We have a strict music policy that we expect to be followed.”