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Channel 4 News said it "regrets" any offence caused by Jon Snow's "unscripted observation" after the veteran journalist said he had "never seen so many white people in one place" during a live broadcast.

The presenter, 71, was signing off from the Friday evening bulletin following Brexit Day protests when he made the comment.

It came as protesters brought Westminster to a standstill on what was supposed to be the day the UK exited the European Union.

Speaking at the end of the programme on College Green, where congregations of anti-Brexit campaigners have spent months shouting during outside broadcasts, Mr Snow said: "It's been the most extraordinary day.

"A day which has seen... I have never seen so many white people in one place, it's an extraordinary story.

(Image: Alucard / SplashNews.com)

"There are people everywhere, there are crowds everywhere."

The remarks drew criticism online from some viewers who described Mr Snow's comments about "white people" as unnecessary.

In a statement, Channel 4 said: "This was an unscripted observation at the very end of a long week of fast-moving Brexit developments.

(Image: REUTERS)

(Image: Getty Images)

"Jon has covered major events such as this over a long career and this was a spontaneous comment reflecting his observation that in a London demonstration of that size, ethnic minorities seemed to be significantly under-represented.

"We regret any offence caused by his comment."

A spokesman for the regulator Ofcom said it would have to wait until Monday to say how many complaints - if any - had been registered regarding the incident.

A spokesman said: "We will assess any complaints we do receive before deciding whether or not to investigate."