74499-54CHURCHGOERS in Swindon gathered outside the BBC Radio Swindon offices to protest against a decision to screen the controversial Jerry Springer musical.

Members of four churches in the town said they were furious with the show's blasphemous content and believed the BBC's decision to air it illustrated a decline in society's morals.

Pastor Ron Williams, of the Elim Pentecostal Church in Osborne Street, said the content was highly offensive claiming it contained more than 8,000 swearwords.

"It is totally blasphemous and morally wrong," said the 63-year-old, of Haydon Wick.

"People who have seen the opera in the West End paid to go and chose to go but we don't agree with our TV licence fee being used in this way."

About 20 people, carrying placards bearing slogans such as No to Jerry Springer, were involved in the protest in Prospect Place, Old Town, on Saturday.

Other churches represented were Assemblies of God in King William Street, Rodbourne Cheney Baptist Church and Lakeside Church in Cavendish Square.

Steve Clarke, 57, of Freshbrook, from Assemblies of God, said the decision to broadcast the show was 'totally unacceptable'.

"In daily life bad language and blasphemy is constant and this just encourages it," he said.

News that Jerry Springer The Opera would be aired on BBC2 at 10pm on Saturday sparked a record 7,361 complaints to TV watchdogs and protesters burned symbolic TV licences over the issue.

Calls have been made for the suspension of BBC2 controller Roly Keating and an investigation into why the programme has been deemed suitable for broadcast.

BBC director general Mark Thompson defended the move, saying that as a practising Christian he found nothing in the show that he believed to be blasphemous and that the number of expletives was less than 300.