An unlikely case of mistaken identity resulted in a London cabbie being questioned on the ins-and-outs of a copyright court dispute.

BBC News 24 presenter Karen Bowerman, asking the driver about Apple Computers battle with the Beatles' Apple Corps. was surprised when his "expert" had little to say.

"I do not know. I is not sure what I is doing here," he said on live television.

Guy Kewney, expert and author on music and the internet, was waiting in the corporation's reception when he saw his name pop up on the cabbie, who had just given him a ride.

"There were several surprising things about my interview," he explained later. "Ignore the fact I wasn't giving it and that judging by my performance English isn't my first language. Also that I didn't seem to know much about Apple Computers, on-line music or The Beatles."

A BBC spokesman apologised, commenting: "Unfortunately we did make a mistake and the wrong person was interviewed briefly."