Birmingham City Council has dismissed ‘curious’ comments made by a Fox News ‘terror expert’, who claimed the region was ‘totally Muslim’.

Speaking on the US news channel, commentator Steve Emerson said Birmingham was a city ‘where non-Muslims just simply don’t go in’. He also claimed that in parts of London, Muslim religious police ‘actually beat and actually wound seriously anyone who doesn’t dress according to religious Muslim attire’.

Emerson has since apologised for his comments, describing them as a ‘terrible error’ and stating that he plans to make a donation to the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Birmingham City Council, cabinet member for social cohesion, equalities and community safety, Cllr James McKay welcomed the apology, adding that ‘these curious comments clearly have no foundation’.

‘Birmingham’s an incredible place, rightly held up as an example of how communities can and do live and thrive together. We are amazingly diverse, and that’s one of the things that makes us brilliant. All this fuss is a reminder of how it’s always best to check your facts before getting into a debate,’ he added.

‘Maybe Fox News could come and visit sometime, and see for themselves what a great city we have here?’

Emerson’s comments were widely derided on Twitter, while prime minister David Cameron slammed the ‘terror expert’ as ‘clearly a complete idiot’.

Birmingham was recently named as one of the top 10 cities to visit in the world by travel company Rough Guides.

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