The mother of a hero British caver who helped save 12 Thai schoolboys trapped in a cave said billionaire Elon Musk 'should be shot' for calling her son 'pedo guy'.

Musk hit out after cave expert Vernon Unsworth dismissed his offer to build a mini submarine to free the boys as a PR stunt.

Although the billionaire entrepreneur has since apologised, Mr Unsworth's mother said that he needed to have his mouth taped shut.

Speaking from her home in Braintree in Essex, Vera Unsworth said: 'I think he should be shot for what he said.

'He wants his mouth taped up. I don't know if Veron will seek legal recourse, if he has any sense he will.

'If I had my way I'd put him against a wall and shoot him, it's disgusting coming from a millionaire as well. He probably thinks money doesn't hurt him and he can get away with anything.

'I hope he does take legal action but the point will be he has got the money and Vernon hasn't. I'm shocked I don't really know what to say.'

The 88-year-old added that her son, who arrived back in the UK yesterday, was staying in London and would visit her in the next few days.

Elon Musk has apologised for his 'pedo guy' slur aimed at a British cave diver Vern Unsworth (pictured) who helped save 12 boys trapped in a cave in Thailand

But Vernon Unsworth's elderly mother Vera, 88, said that the billionaire entrepreneur (pictured) should be 'shot' for his comments adding that he should have his mouth taped shut

The billionaire entrepreneur, who is chief executive of the electric car maker Tesla Inc, has since apologised for what he said on Twitter

Musk designed a child-sized submarine out of rocket parts that he hoped could be used to rescue some of the soccer players trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand

Musk's investors have called on him to 'take a Twitter sabbatical' after he 'crossed a line' with the baseless remark.

The tweet on Sunday sent investors away from Tesla stock, which fell nearly three per cent before recovering.

The 'pedo' comment was the latest controversy to dog the green energy CEO this year, following a series of social media attacks on journalists and employees, an outburst at analysts during an earnings call and a bizarre row over a farting unicorn.

He has also been unmasked as one of the top 50 donors to a political action committee dedicated to helping Republicans maintain control of the House - despite the party largely ignoring or denying climate change.

Mr Unsworth, who was instrumental in the rescue of the trapped youngsters, said today that he was aware of the apology, but would not comment further when asked about a settlement or possible legal action. Also asked how he had heard of the apology, he repeated he had no further comment.

The South African born inventor admitted that his 'words were spoken in anger' after Mr Unsworth had dismissed as a 'PR stunt' his plan to recover the children from the flooded Tham Luang caves using a miniature submarine.

Responding to a Twitter user who had shared an article about the dispute, the Silicon Valley billionaire wrote: 'As this well-written article suggests, my words were spoken in anger after Mr Unsworth said several untruths & suggested I engage in a sexual act with the mini-sub, which had been built as an act of kindness & according to specifications from the dive team leader.

'Nonetheless, his actions against me do not justify my actions against him, and for that I apologize to Mr. Unsworth and to the companies I represent as leader. The fault is mine and mine alone.'

Musk's spat with Unsworth started last week, after rescue teams rejected Musk's offer of a mini-submarine created by his rocket company SpaceX to help extract the youth soccer team and the coach from the labyrinth of partly flooded passages.

'It just has absolutely no chance of working,' CNN quoted Unsworth as saying about the submarine. He also said Musk could 'stick his submarine where it hurts'.

Musk responded on Twitter on Sunday saying: 'We will make one (video) of the mini-sub/pod going all the way to Cave 5 no problem. Sorry pedo guy, you really did ask for it.'

Unsworth (right) had earlier suggested he planned to take legal action after Musk (left) accused him of being a paedophile in an extraordinary Twitter attack

The Tweet was later deleted, but the diver said yesterday he had been approached by British and American lawyers and would seek legal advice over Musk's extraordinary tirade.

Mr Unsworth said he hadn't flatly denied Musk's accusation because he was waiting for legal advice.

Asked why he thought Musk would make such a comment about him, he said: 'I don't know.'

A police officer in the Chiang Rai, where Unsworth has lived for seven years, said that no charges or complaints had ever been filed against Unsworth. The officer declined to be named because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

Musk labelled the British diver 'pedo guy' in a tweet before later deleting the message

Unsworth, 63, said he hadn't actually met Musk face to face when Musk visited the cave during the rescue.

He said he felt sorry that the squabble with Musk had detracted from the successful end to the rescue mission.

'It's taken a bit of the pleasure out of what's happened, what we've achieved, for me anyway,' he said, adding that it had upset his ex-wife and daughter back in Britain. 'It's very much upset my daughter,' the caver said, his voice breaking.

Shares of Tesla Inc fell more than 3.5 per cent on Monday, knocking almost $2billion off the company's market value.

Several analysts and investors, requesting anonymity, told Reuters that Musk's comments were adding to their concerns that his public statements were distracting him from Tesla's main business of producing electric cars.

Venture capital firm Loup Ventures issued a statement on behalf of investors this week saying the 'pedo' comment 'crossed the line' and called for an apology.

The letter said: 'Over the last 6 months, there have been too many examples of concerning behavior that is shaking investor confidence.'

Farting unicorns, Twitter tirades and conference call outbursts: Musk's previous controversies The extraordinary tirade aimed at Vern Unsworth is not the first time Elon Musk has sparked controversy. Just days ago, the US Federal Election Commission released annual filings showing Musk as one of the top 50 donors to a political action committee dedicated to helping Republicans maintain control of the House. While Musk has described himself as 'half Democrat, half Republican' in the past, it struck many as hypocritical that a green energy CEO would donate nearly $40,000 to help keep in power a political party that has largely ignored or denied climate change. Despite the fact that publicly-available FEC documents prove his donations to the PAC, Musk tweeted on Saturday that 'reports that I am a top donor of the GOP are categorically false'. 'I am not a top donor to any political party,' he said. In June, the Tesla CEO became embroiled in a bizarre row over a farting unicorn mug. Tom Edwards, a Colorado potter, said he was delighted when Musk tweeted a photo of one of his colourful unicorn mugs in February 2017 with the tech exec calling the design 'maybe my favorite mug ever'. But he was stunned when, just a month later, Musk unveiled a similar cartoon to promote Tesla's new 'sketch pad' feature, which allows drivers to draw via an in-car touchscreen. Mr Edwards' daughter then became involved in a Twitter spat with Musk, who insisted Tesla had received no financial gain from the art work and that they would use another design going forward. A month earlier, in May this year, it emerged that Musk had launched an extraordinary outburst during a quarterly earnings conference call. The billionaire branded one industry analyst a 'boring bonehead' during the bizarre session, saying another's 'questions are so dry they are killing me'. Musk has also become embroiled in a series of spats with the news media - chastising reporters for focusing on accidents of autonomous cars instead of their safety potential, and accusing one news organisation of being 'relentlessly negative' about Tesla. Last month, he alleged 'sabotage' at Tesla's operations by an employee, who responded by claiming to be a 'whistleblower'. Advertisement

It added: 'The exchange with Vern Unsworth crossed the line. I suspect you would agree given you deleted the string from Twitter, but it will take more than that to regain investor confidence.

'Your behavior is fueling an unhelpful perception of your leadership – thin-skinned and short-tempered.

'Thankfully, the road to regaining investor confidence is well traveled. It starts with an apology. Then, focus your message on your progress toward achieving Tesla's mission. You might consider taking a Twitter sabbatical.'

This is the most brand-damaging thing Elon Musk has ever done,' said Roger Kay, analyst with Endpoint Technologies Associates who follows the technology sector.

Kay said Musk appeared to be following in the footsteps of President Donald Trump in using Twitter to vent frustration and insult anyone with whom he disagrees.

'It's totally gratuitous. It wasn't necessary,' Kay said of the Musk insult to the Briton, who has threatened a lawsuit. 'It makes him very Trump-like.'

The 'Wild Boar' team were rescued last week by a group of foreign and Thai divers through a network of narrow passages and chambers. The boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach are expected to leave hospital on Wednesday.

Members of the 'Wild Boars' football team being treated at a hospital in Chiang Rai after their rescue

Musk shared images of the camp which was established around the cave mouth

WHAT WAS ELON MUSK'S PLAN TO SAVE THE THAI CHILDREN TRAPPED IN FLOODED TUNNELS? Twelve young footballers and their 25-year-old coach became trapped in a flooded cave system in Thailand on June 23, 2018. Divers and other rescue worker worked frantically to come up with a plan to free the youngsters imprisoned in the Tham Luang Nang Non caves. On July 6, almost two weeks later, billionaire Elon Musk shared suggestions for those working on the ground after receiving tweets requesting his input. Elon Musk said his Boring Co, which digs tunnels for advanced transport systems, could feed a nylon tube into the submerged sections of the cave before inflating it 'like a bouncy castle' to create an underwater tunnel. Musk also committed to sending top engineers from his Boring Co. and SpaceX companies to help free the trapped schoolchildren. According to the Tesla CEO, rescuers could use electric pumps to remove water from flooded entrance of the cave network – eliminating one of the bodies of water those trapped would need to cross. Nylon tubes measuring some 3ft (1m) in diameter could then be fed through the cave network to the flooded sections. Battery packs and air pumps would be used to inflate the nylon tubes, submerged underwater. These tubes would provide an escape tunnel the children could crawl through to safety, Musk suggests. However, Professor John Gunn from the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Birmingham and chair of the cave research association, had reservations about details of the scheme. He said: 'If you imagine a tunnel under London flooded, this this would be straight with a few bends. 'However, this is more like asking to thread a pipe through all the aisles of a supermarket, up the stairs, down the stairs and then back through the aisles and also in total darkness and underwater. 'You can see it is more complicated. If he was proposing the pipe is moved by divers then I think that’s a non-starter.' Advertisement

Unsworth was the first foreigner called to the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand after relatives noticed the boys had not come out after setting out to explore the cave complex on June 23 following soccer practice.

He said he has lost count of how many times he has been inside the six-mile long Tham Luang cave.

'It has been my third home for the past six years,' he said.

Two British divers who were asked by Unsworth to join the mission were the first to discover the boys.

Unsworth said he brought his knowledge about the cave to the rescue mission but added that he 'no idea' what the diving conditions were like because he is not a cave diver.