French 24-hour news channel BFM TV has apologised for playing the song "I Shot the Sheriff" after police shot dead Cherif Chekkat, the suspect behind an attack on a Christmas market in Strasbourg that killed four people.

Chekkat, 29, was on the run for two days after the market attack before police tracked him down to the city's Neudorf neighbourhood late on Thursday. He was killed after he opened fire on three officers.

As the news channel broadcast a special programme on Chekkat's demise, including images from the street, the Bob Marley reggae hit played out. The channel blamed it on human error and apologised on Friday, but not before the mistake had ignited social media.

"The technical team in charge of sound recognises it was behind this serious incident and says human error was to blame," BFM said in a statement.

Twitter users were not impressed.

"BFM just broadcast 'I shot the sheriff' live on air. They've lost it!" one commentator remarked.

Another tweeted: "I'm not sure Bob Marley's I Shot the Sheriff is the best choice of music by BFM tonight."

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