Emma Thompson 'clarifies stoning comments'

Emma Thompson has insisted that a comment she made regarding the stoning of homosexuals on the Isle of Wight was only a joke.

In an appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson last month, the actress teased that residents of the island often torture homosexuals.

"I think they are still allowed to flog them, which some of them enjoy," she said during the interview.

"I think they are allowed to shoot Irish or Scottish people if they arrive on the island - it is still in the rules, they are allowed to torture people. It's lovely, you should go."

However, she has since said that her remarks were made in jest and that she actually meant to name the Isle of Man, reports the Daily Star.

In an email to local council leader David Pugh, she said: "Thank you so very much for understanding that not only were my remarks on a late-night comedy show (comedy being the operative word) but I also mixed up my islands.

"I think it was the Isle of Man that used to enjoy the privilege of being allowed to shoot Scotsmen if they appeared on the beach."