Comedian Boyle criticised after lampooning Saudi Arabian Paralympic team as 'thieves'

London, Aug 30(ANI): Outspoken comedian Frankie Boyle once again attracted criticism after he tweeted a series of contentious jokes during the Paralympic Games opening ceremony, branding Saudi Arabian Paralympic team as 'mainly thieves' in one of his jokes.

The comment on the Saudi Arabian Paralympic team is a reference to how Saudis have amputated criminals' hands as punishment for stealing.

Boyles' tweets straight away prompted wide-scale condemnation from other Twitter users, who accused him of trying to undermine the sports extravaganza.

"Apparently the Saudi Arabian Paralympic team is mainly thieves #c4paralympics," The Daily Mail quoted Boyle's tweet, as saying.

Minutes earlier, Boyle had tweeted: "Wow, Austrian Paralympians seem a lot more able-bodied than most regular Scottish people."

Boyle didn't even spare the Queen, who opened the Paralympics at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, east London, and tweeted: "The Queen hasn't cracked a smile since Diana died #c4paralympics."

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe was also lampooned by Boyle, who wrote: 'After all the trials they've gone through, these paralympians face their greatest challenge in trying to not look bored by Seb Coe'.

The comment about Lord Coe was retweeted by more than 300 Twitter users, but some found his brand of humour nasty.

One person tweeted: "Great work by @C4Paralympics bring on the games shame you have idiots like Frankie Boyle undermining it with tweets poking fun #clueless."

Another wrote: "Frankie Boyle is flogging a dead horse on here tonight. Turn it in Frankie, we got it the first time."

A third tweeter posted the message: "Had to unfollow Frankie Boyle. He can be hilarious but he's just uncalled for during the Paralympics." (ANI)