Danny Kelly was referring to an item on a social networking website

The BBC has apologised after a radio presenter said the Queen had died.

Danny Kelly who works for BBC WM in the West Midlands, played the national anthem as he made the joke during his Birmingham-based afternoon show.

A BBC spokesman said it had been a reference to an item on one of his internet pages.

Mr Kelly will not present his show for the remainder of the week and a formal apology was made at the start of Tuesday's show at 1400 BST.

A BBC spokesman said presenter Mollie Green would take over the afternoon show until next Tuesday.

The apology on BBC WM at the start of the programme said: "Yesterday afternoon Danny Kelly made an inappropriate remark about the Queen during his radio show here on BBC WM.

"The BBC apologises unreservedly for it.

"BBC WM takes these comments very seriously and due action has been taken."

Earlier, a spokesman said the comment had been made during a "light-hearted piece about social media friends" and that it had been corrected on-air immediately after it was made.