The BBC was forced to apologise to viewers yesterday after a radio presenter told women to “keep their knickers on” if they didn’t want to be the victims of sexual attacks during a live debate about Ched Evans.

Nick Conrad launched a vile sexist attack on women and absolved a man’s part in sexual attacks due to it being “very difficult for many men to say no when they are whipped up into a bit of a storm.”

He also suggested that many feminists have “jumped on” the bandwagon and are attacking the convicted rapist just to appear “anti-men.”

On his show on BBC Radio Norfolk he said: “I think women need to be more aware of a man’s sexual desire. That when you’re in that position that you are about to engage in sexual activity there’s a huge amount of energy in the male body, there’s a huge amount of will and intent and it’s very difficult for many men to say no when they are whipped up into a bit of a storm.

“And it’s the old adage about if you yank a dog’s tale then don’t be surprised when it bites you.

“Or you can’t keep snakes in the garden and think they’ll only bite your neighbours.

“The onus has to be on the men and the men have to be condemned if a woman says no and they persist then that’s absolutely abhorrent.

“But they then [feminists], in their fury against men and masculinity, they actually forget to stop and say if you tease, if you jump into bed naked with a man, if you give him all the signals, and then he acts upon them, then you are partially responsible.”

He concluded his misogynistic point by saying: “What I’m trying to say is that women also have to understand that when a man’s given certain signals, he’ll wish to act upon them and if you don’t wish to give out the wrong signals, it’s best probably to keep your knickers on and not get into bed with him. Does that make sense?”

But Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Norwich North Jessica Asato immediatly called for Mr Conrad to apologise on air.

She said on her personal website: “Nick Conrad’s views are not only crass and demeaning towards women, they are downright dangerous because they help to perpetuate rape culture. 

“The idea that women ‘whip men up’ and lead them on is as old as the hills and feeds into the mentality that some women are ‘asking for it’ or somehow deserve to be raped. 

“Nick Conrad ought to know better than to reinforce these stereotypes and should issue an on-air apology for his insensitive comments. 

“Given that he made these comments on air, he should apologise on air.”

A BBC Radio Norfolk spokesman attempted to defend the radio presenter and bizarrely no formal complaints had been made.

He said: “As part of a wide-ranging discussion where Nick invited the listeners to talk frankly about the Ched Evans case, he made it clear that rape is an abhorrent act.

“BBC management has made it clear to Nick that some of his comments were very ill-judged and he has apologised for any offence that may have been caused.”