A Swiss politician who caused anger after mistaking the Manx flag display at an England Euros match with a far-right symbol has apologised.

The Three Legs was proudly on display at the England vs Switzerland game last Saturday.

But Swiss politician Matthias Meier-Moreno caused outrage after mistaking the flag for a far-right symbol and posted on X (formerly Twitter) demanding it be removed immediately.

The post was removed a short time after and now Mr Meier-Moreno, who is a parliamentary councillor and a junior football coach in Switzerland, has posted on X to apologise to the people of the island.

He said: ‘Dear Isle of Men residents, I would like to extend my sincerest apologies to you. During the European Championship football game on TV, I confused your flag with a triskele (ancient Celtic symbol), which we associate with the right-wing extremist scene.

‘I didn't know the Isle of Men flag and that's why I put the question to UEFA. There was never any intention to insult any country, island or its inhabitants. I congratulate England on reaching the European Championship final.’

The original post prompted a series of angry responses. One X user said: ‘Just when I thought I’d witnessed peak idiocy for the week, this pops up on my timeline.

‘Dear Mr Meier-Moreno, maybe lay off the internet for a few years.’