The Radio Authority has upheld a complaint against Virgin Radio for following a news item on the Queen Mother's death with the Sex Pistols' hit God Save The Queen.

It was aired on a show in April, shortly after a report on how the Queen was planning to deliver a eulogy about her late mother, who died on 31 March.

The music on the programme had been pre-recorded, with the news and weather added in later.

Jokes or scenarios should not be rendered tasteless by intervening events, such as death

Radio Authority

However, the regulators ruled that the scheduling of the track had breached the station's programme code.

The Radio Authority's rules say that recorded programmes should be checked before broadcast, "to ensure that jokes or scenarios are not rendered tasteless by intervening events, such as death".

Virgin has since apologised for the incident, saying it was "unintentional and regrettable".

The Sex Pistols track, which was first released 25 years ago to coincide with the Queen's Silver Jubilee, is no stranger to controversy.

God Save The Queen was banned in 1977

Radio stations banned it, and many record shops refused to stock it.

The band caused a further storm when they marked Silver Jubilee day by staging a live performance on a boat which they sailed up the Thames - a stunt which led to their arrest.

The song was re-released earlier this year to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee, and reached the top 20.

Meanwhile the band, who originally split up in 1977 and reformed in 1996 for a world tour, are enjoying renewed popularity.

They are playing the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace, South London, this weekend.