Nobel scientist Tim Hunt apologises for 'girls in lab' comments

British Nobel laureate Sir Tim Hunt has apologised for suggesting "girls" should stay out of the laboratory because they distract men.

Discussing women in science, he told a conference in South Korea: "Three things happen when they are in the lab: you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you, and when you criticise them they cry."

He told the Today programme: "I'm really sorry that I said what I said... What was intended as a sort of light-hearted ironic comment, apparently was interpreted deadly seriously by my audience."