Channel 5 has removed an episode of Fireman Sam from its online streaming service, after the animated children’s programme appeared to show a character treading on pages of the Koran.

HIT Entertainment, the producer of the programme, has issued an unreserved apology, and said it was cancelling its contract with the Chinese animation studio responsible for making the scenes.

In the programme, which last aired on June 28, a character can be seen on two occasions trampling on papers that are being sorted on the floor of a fire station.

When the papers fly into the air, at least one sheet appears to be a page from the Islamic holy book.

The scenes, which were unearthed by a member of the public, led to condemnation on social networking sites.

Miqdaad Versi, Assistant Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain, wrote on Twitter that he was "baffled" by the scene: