A British teacher in Sudan has been charged with insulting Islam and inciting hatred, the Foreign Office has confirmed.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, was arrested on Sunday after a complaint was made to the Sudanese Ministry of Education that she had allowed her students to call a class teddy bear Muhammad.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "I can confirm Gillian Gibbons has been charged under article 125 of the Sudanese Criminal Code.

"The charges are insulting religion and inciting hatred."

Foreign Secretary David Miliband is to summon the Sudanese ambassador "as a matter of urgency" over the decision to charge Mrs Gibbons.

Lawyers have said she could face 40 lashes, a fine or six months in jail if convicted.

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, said he was "appalled" at the decision.

He said: "This is a disgraceful decision and defies common sense.

"There was clearly no intention on the part of the teacher to deliberately insult the Islamic faith.

"The children in Ms Gibbons' class and their parents have all testified as to her innocence in this matter.

"We call upon the Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir to intervene in this case without delay to ensure that Ms Gibbons is freed from this quite shameful ordeal."

Leaflets have been distributed in Khartoum calling for protests, but outside the jail where Ms Gibbons is being held, many ordinary Sudanese said they were ready to forgive her if she apologised.

"When we heard we wanted to demonstrate immediately but some said we should wait and see what the concerned authorities find out," said Abdallah, a science student.

Shopkeeper Sabir Abdel Karim said: "If the teacher apologised to the Sudanese people and to all Muslims because she insulted the Prophet Muhammad then this is enough to end the matter."

He continued: "Any one can make a mistake and Muslims are forgivers. She will be forgiven and God will be the judge."

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