C4 sorry for running Greens' broadcast with UKIP subtitles

Channel 4 has been forced to apologised to the Green Party for mistakenly transmitting its election broadcast with UK Independence Party subtitles.

Channel 4 has been forced to apologised to the Green Party for mistakenly transmitting its election broadcast with UK Independence Party subtitles.

The first three minutes of the five minute broadcast, which was aired at 7.55pm on Thursday in a prime-time slot after the channel's flagship news programme, was shown with the UKIP script. The blunder led to a furious reaction from the Green Party, which fears some viewers may confuse UKIP's negative stance on Europe and immigration with their own policies.

A spokesman for the party said it was "very disappointed" as it only had one broadcast - shown on different channels - during the campaign. He added: "UKIP's policies are completely alien to Green thinking and progressive politics."

Channel 4 said: "It was a rare and honest mistake. The subtitles were stopped before the end of the programme and replaced with an apology. Only a small percentage of viewers would have been affected."

The Green spokesman said Channel 4 had told them human error was responsible. He added that Channel 4 said it would have to consult its lawyers as to whether the broadcast could be shown again because of the strict rules governing party election broadcasts to ensure fairness.

The Greens and other small parties are only allowed one election broadcast, while the main parties can show three.

A UKIP spokesman said: "It seems the audience got the UKIP message twice. We feel sorry for the Greens in as much as it is not very fair if a major broadcaster cannot get its act together."

The Green broadcast was directed by Alex Cox and set to a Franz Ferdinand soundtrack. The broadcast portrayed a dystopian future of war, corporate domination and curtailed civil liberties under a future Labour government.