THE BBC should stop referring to radical Islamic clerics as ‘conservative’ and call them the extremists they are, a Tory MP has said.

Monmouth MP David Davies described the broadcaster’s choice of language as “inappropriate” and “deeply offensive” to Conservative voters.

“The BBC seems to take great delight in using the word ‘conservative’ to describe extremist Islamic clerics who often hold the most appalling views on issues such as gay rights and women’s rights,” he said.

“These people quite obviously have nothing to do with the Conservative Party yet they will be repeatedly described as ‘conservative’ in broadcasts and online reports.

“Sometimes these reports will be followed by another news item that will refer to Conservative politicians in the UK.

“The BBC falls over backwards to be sensitive to other groups who do not want to be linked to extremists. You will never hear the BBC referring to religiously-motivated terrorists by their actual religion as this would cause understandable offence within the wider religious community that they are drawn from.”

Mr Davies called for the same courtesy to be extended to the millions of Conservative supporters in the UK who “abhor” the views of extremists.

“I have yet to bump into a ‘conservative’ Islamist cleric at any of the thousands of Conservative Party events I have attended over the last 30 years,” he added.

“I have written to the Director-General of the BBC to request that in future, to dispel any confusion and to prevent offence to Conservative voters in this country, they stop using the term ‘conservative clerics’ and instead refer to them as the extremists which they are.”