Ricky Gervais has run into controversy during his latest UK tour over a joke which reportedly upset members of his audience.

Gervais' Humanity tour has been getting some of the best reviews he has ever had but, according the the Telegraph, following a recent gig at Belfast's Waterfront, Sands Northern Ireland, the still birth and neonatal death charity issued the following message on its Facebook page: "We have just had a message from a bereaved couple who were at the Ricky Gervais show ... last night. They have asked us to make any bereaved parents attending the show tonight (29th March) that there is a joke in the show about dead babies which upset the couple so much that they had to leave the show."

Suzi and Ryan Gourley lost their baby son Eli last July. According to the Telegraph Mrs Gourley told Belfast Live: “I know people take things differently and I know our emotions are raw, but why joke about a baby being dead? It’s just wrong."

Gervais has responded to criticism via his Twitter feed, tweeting: ""Is there any subject you shouldn't joke about?" is no less ridiculous a question than "Is there any subject you shouldn't talk about?"" and adding a sentiment that he has expressed in the past: "Offence often occurs when people mistake the subject of a joke with the actual target. They're not always the same."

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