Isle of Wight is not amused by Emma Thompson's gay gag

Emma Thompson's next holiday destination is unlikely to be the Isle of Wight.

The actress joked on American TV that the stoning of homosexuals was still practised there.

On The Late Late Show, Scottish host Craig Ferguson told Thompson he was going on holiday to the island of Catalina, off the coast of California, which he compared to the Isle Of Wight.

The 51-year-old actress laughed as she replied: "Oh, so they stone homosexuals there? Nice.

"I think they are still allowed to flog them, which some of them enjoy. I think they are allowed to shoot Irish or Scottish people if they arrive on the island — it is still in the rules, they are allowed to torture people. It's lovely, you should go."

Her joke has not gone down well with islanders.

Isle Of Wight council leader David Pugh said: "Her comments are offensive to everyone living on the island, which is a diverse and welcoming place where we have people from all backgrounds.

"It is a bizarre comment that couldn't be further from real life here. We are a fully integrated part of Great Britain. I would encourage her to come to see for herself how wrong that image is. She is welcome, as is anyone."

Earlier this week, Thompson said she planned to spend more time with her family. She said: "Next year, I'm going to take a sabbatical — I'm not going to fundraise or perform or travel, except in pursuit of new vistas with my family.

"I've been meaning to do this for a long, long time, but it's been like putting the brakes on a large ship because there is so much going on."

She also admitted she suffers from mild depression, adding: "It's a very common thing. I think it should be discussed."