Lady Gaga's swearing during a performance in Malta in the summer has resulted in Ofcom, the UK regulator, criticising MTV.

The outlandish star was featured on MTV Live: Isle Of MTV music festival which aired in the UK in November last year, and shown urging the audience: "Put your hands up in the air and dance, you mother*******".

Ofcom received a complaint from a viewer who said children might be watching.

MTV Networks Europe, which complies the channel, apologised and said that the programme was broadcast due to a mix-up.

The show was originally produced and edited by its sister company in Italy and then viewed and complied by its compliance team at MTV in London with all the offensive language removed, it told Ofcom.

But when the Italian office was later asked by MTV in London to make technical alterations to the soundtrack, it mistakenly used the original unedited audio - and the offensive language could be heard once more.

MTV Networks Europe ensured several apologies were made - and said it had introduced further compliance checks on all material delivered from Italy.

Ofcom noted the measures which were taken but said the show had breached the Broadcasting Code, which states: "The most offensive language must not be broadcast before the watershed".