Stand-up Steve Hughes has been branded ‘abhorrent’ over comments he made on stage over the killing of two police officers.

During his set at the Manchester Comedy Store on Wednesday, the Australian comic referred to the deaths of PCs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes in the city the previous day.

He insisted he did not make a joke of the tragedy, which happened less than 12 miles from the venue, or saying anything derogatory about the victims.

But he said he was ‘sorry if somebody has become upset’ about his comments, which pointed out that more civilians die in police custody than officers in the line of duty.

An inspector from Greater Manchester Police was in the audience and walked out in disgust.

The Police Federation, which represents officers, has now demanded a full apology from the venue

Chairman Ian Hanson said: 'This is abhorrent. How could anyone think it was “funny” to make jokes about the death of our two colleagues?'

‘Manchester's Comedy Store should make a full apology. Jokes at expense of brave police officers killed on duty are not funny.'

And the official Twitter feed of the Federation’s Manchester branch asked: ‘Is it acceptable to make jokes about the death of two police officers? Of course not. Apparently the Comedy Store in Manchester thinks it is.’

But Hughes told the Manchester Evening News: ‘There was no joke about police officers. I would simply never tell a joke about two people who have been killed. These were simple statistics. I would never say anything about the death of anyone. It would be insensitive. I'm a grown man. There's no need to disturb someone for no good reason.

‘I'm sorry if somebody has become upset thinking I'm being derogatory. It's obviously a tragedy when people end up getting hurt or killed simply for no reason whatsoever.’