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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

Line of Duty star Martin Compston issues statement after viral video

Line of Duty star Martin Compston has issued a statement after a video of him went viral.

The video is understood to have been taken at a Las Vegas hotel on Wednesday night as Celtic fans gathered for the annual North American Federation of Celtic Supporters Clubs conference.

Compston, who is a club ambassador with Celtic, is filmed on stage in front of fans along with fellow ambassador and actor Gianni Capaldi.

Read more: Adrian Dunbar hints at Line of Duty return 'next year'

The video appears to show the Line of Duty actor joining in celebrations where Celtic fans sang a sectarian chant to the tune of the 1972 hit 'Beautiful Sunday' by Daniel Boone.

However, Compston has taken to social media on Thursday afternoon to debunk this, saying he "unequivocally did not sing any sectarian songs."

In a tweet, the actor said: "Not best pleased to wake up to a story 8 hours ahead of me before I've had the right to reply.

"Let me be absolutely clear, I unequivocally did not sing ANY sectarian songs. I've worked in Belfast too long to see damage done to think this stuff is a laugh.

"If people want to change the lyrics to a song that's sung at Celtic Park, weddings, Still Game, wherever that's up to them I'm not the lyric police.

"If it was an IRA song and I was on stage bobbing along I would understand the story but I'm pretty sure Daniel Boone had nothing more than Beautiful Sundays in mind when he wrote the song and that's what I was singing."

Read more: Line of Duty tops the polls as the Best TV Drama of 2021

Read more: Martin Compston on Line of Duty and wooing his wife with Irish songs

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