BBC apologizes for weather middle finger

LONDON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The BBC issued an apology for the actions of a weatherman who raised his middle finger at an anchor without realizing the action was caught on camera.

Forecaster Tomasz Schafernaker made the gesture during a broadcast after news anchor Simon McCoy joked the weather forecast would be "100 percent accurate," the BBC reported Wednesday.

"The News Channel presenter in the studio acknowledged a mistake had been made, and we apologize for any offense caused," a BBC spokesman said. "Tomasz was not aware that he was on air, and whilst the gesture was only shown for a second, it was not acceptable."

Schafernaker said he did not realize he was on screen when he jokingly showed his middle finger to McCoy and attempted to cover the error by pretending to scratch his chin.

The weatherman apologized on his Web site.

"Prior to a live weather bulletin, I made a gesture off camera joking with my fellow presenters and without warning the camera went live to the weather studio," wrote Schafernaker, who has appeared in national BBC broadcasts since 2006. "I am very sorry for any offense that might have been caused by my actions."