SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies described a clash with news presenter Jon Snow during a tour of Channel 4 News at ITN as "one of the most bizarre experiences of my life" and said he received an apology from the ITN's chief executive afterwards.

The spat happened after Mr Davies was invited by ITN to discuss the issue of people being granted the right to 'wipe' historic records about them from the internet.

He was offered a tour of the Channel 4 newsroom afterwards and said he was challenged by Mr Snow over comments he had made during a meeting of the Culture, Media and Sport Parliamentary Select Committee.

Mr Davies is a member of that committee and said he had commented during a meeting that "they had a left wing bias and that Jon Snow was an example" with a company spokesman accepting that Mr Snow represented "a liberal bias".

When he was in the newsroom during the tour, he said he was approached by Mr Snow who started a "tirade".

"He was asking for one example of when he had been biased, it was at the top of his voice so everyone could hear," said Mr Davies.

"I offered to go back to go through some of their archives but he kept repeating the same thing. He went on and on, it was ridiculous."

During the confrontation Mr Snow mentioned the politician's 400 majority, when in fact it is more than 9,000 and Mr Davies suggested the veteran presenter was "past it".

Mr Davies declined to comment when later approached by a national newspaper which had been given an account of the story, because he had no wish to "embarrass and humiliate" Mr Snow.

But he spoke to clarify the situation because the version of events which was published was inaccurate, he said.

In fact, Mr Davies said he was approached by John Hardie, chief executive of ITN where Channel Four news is produced, afterwards to apologise over the incident.

He said Mr Hardie had "apologised profusely for Jon Snow's attitude, which he said was completely unacceptable."

"He said he would have words with him about it and I said don't have any words on my account. I can take the rough and tumble of politics," Mr Davies told the Telegraph & Argus.

Mr Davies also dismissed some reports that Channel Four newsreader fellow presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy had to separate the pair as "completely untrue".

A Channel 4 News spokesman said: “We were pleased to welcome Philip Davies MP to Channel 4 News.

“Our journalists never shy away from a full and frank discussion, and Jon Snow and Mr Davies had a robust exchange of views.”

An ITN spokesman confirmed that shortly after the exchange John Hardie expressed his regret that it had taken place while Mr Davies was at ITN as a guest.