Line of Duty star Martin Compston has insisted he did not sing about the Irish Republican Army at a Celtic convention in America.
Earlier today we reported he had been filmed dancing and punching the air on stage in Las Vegas with fellow actor Gianni Capaldi and former Celtic stars Alan Thompson and Bobby Petta.
The footage showed a huge crowd singing "Irish Republic Army" and "IRA" to the tune of Daniel Boone's 1972 hit Beautiful Sunday.
We told how Compston beat his chest and jumped in time with the music, while clad in a Celtic away strip alongside his pals on stage.
The footage was met with furious backlash on social media.
Before publishing our story earlier today we contacted talent agency Hamilton Hodell, which represents Compston, for comment but did not receive a response.
On Thursday afternoon Compston tweeted: "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 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 onstage 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."
Celtic FC, Capaldi, Petta, Thompson and Hamilton Hodell have yet to respond to requests for comment.
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