Easter blunder

Supermarket firm Somerfield has apologised after it said Easter eggs were to celebrate the "birth" of Jesus.

Ironically the public relations slip-up came as it sought to publicise a survey suggesting a high level of ignorance about Easter's religious significance.

Bosses at the company blamed the blunder on a typing error in a press release sent out earlier this week.

"It's a mistake. We hold up our hands to that," said Pete Williams, whose office was responsible for the blunder.

Mr Williams, who referred to himself as the "shame-faced head of PR" at the firm, said the member of his team whose mistake appeared to back-up the survey's findings about the public's poor religious knowledge was "very embarrassed."

"This was a simple and genuine typo and for that we apologise," he said.

What the firm meant to say, he explained, was that the eggs were a symbol of the resurrection or "rebirth" of Jesus after his crucifixion.

Pollsters for the chain found that while 75% of people would be spending the holiday weekend with friends and family, only one in five would be going to church.