BBC criticised for using subtitles on interview with Northern Ireland blacksmith

The BBC has come in for criticism after placing subtitles on an interview with a blacksmith from County Londonderry in Northern Ireland.

Politicians on both sides described the move as an "insult" after the interview was aired on Sunday night's Countryfile.

Castledown's Barney Devlin, the subject of the interview, was the inspiration behind Seamus Heaney's popular poem, The Forge and is now in his mid-90s.

The BBC said it intended no offence and wanted "as wide an audience as possible".

However, figures from the DUP and Sinn Fein were both highly critical of the broadcaster.

Local Sinn Fein MP Francie Molloy told BBC Radio Ulster it was "part of an ongoing process by the BBC of insulting the Irish people both in culture and language".

Molloy added: "The people of south Derry have complained to us so we're passing that on to the BBC."

DUP MLA Peter Weir also told BBC 5Live that the use of subtitles was "unneccessary and somewhat insulting to a 94-year-old man".

The interview with Devlin was originally broadcast in August but was repeated on Sunday.