Around 1,200 people have complained about a documentary on the history of Islam.

The Channel 4 show, called Islam: The Untold Story, was presented by historian Tom Holland and broadcast last week.

His investigation into the origins of the religion claimed there was little written contemporary Muslim evidence about the Prophet Mohammed.

Around 1,000 have complained directly to Channel 4 with another 200 complaining to the watchdog Ofcom.

Holland, the writer of best-sellers including Rubicon and Persian Fire, said the religion was "a legitimate subject of historical inquiry".

Writing on the Channel 4 website, he said: "We were of course aware when making the programme that we were touching deeply-held sensitivities and went to every effort to ensure that the moral and civilizational power of Islam was acknowledged in our film, and the perspective of Muslim faith represented, both in the persons of ordinary Bedouin in the desert, and one of the greatest modern scholars of Islam, Seyyed Hossein Nasr."

A spokeswoman for the channel said: "This history programme was commissioned as part of Channel 4's remit to support and stimulate well-informed debate on a wide range of issues, by providing access to information and perspectives from around the world and by challenging established views."