‘No ghosts’ Cox in twitter storm

OLDHAM physicist Brian Cox has caused a Twitter storm after mocking people who believe in ghosts and the afterlife.

The Chadderton-born professor and former Hulme Grammar School pupil described listeners who criticised his radio show discussion as “nobbers”.

Professor Cox’s light-hearted Radio 4 science programme “The Infinite Monkey Cage” last week poked fun at people who believe in ghosts.

When listeners complained the show was unbalanced, the Saddleworth-based professor described them on social network site Twitter as “utter nobbers”.

In another tweet he added: “There are no ghosts, so it would be silly to believe in them.”

The 42-year-old is a Professor of Particle Physics and Royal Society University Research Fellow at the University of Manchester.

A BBC source said he was entitled to his views but to use that word to describe people was “a bit offensive”.