Alan Sugar Twitter: The Apprentice star APOLOGISES for 'racist' World Cup tweet

The 71-year-old business mogul posted a picture of the team from Senegal alongside snaps showing sunglasses and handbags laid out on white sheets, in view of his 5.47 million Twitter followers.

“I recognise some of these guys from the beach in Marbella,” his now deleted tweet read. “Multi-taking resourceful chaps.”

Social media users quickly flocked to Twitter to brand his tweet “racist”.

“It’s clearly racist,” one said, while another responded to someone who asked why, saying: “This entire joke is based upon the premise that they look exactly the same due to the colour of their skin.”

“The entire joke revolves around you making a stereotype based on the colour of somebody’s skin,” a third said. “You’re fired pal,” quoting the presenter’s BBC catchphrase.

“Well this is terrible,” someone else blasted.

Lord Sugar then shared another message which said: “Just been reading the reaction to my funny tweet about the guy on the beach in Marbella.

“Seems it has been interpreted in the wrong way as offensive by a few people.

“Frankly I can’t see that I think it’s funny,” it continued. “But I will pull it down if you insist.”

Another tweet from the businessman said: "I misjudged me earlier tweet. It was in no way intended to cause offence, and clearly my attempt at humour has backfired. I have deleted the tweet and am very sorry."(sic)

One Twitter user replied saying: “You mean this racist tweet? Disgusting.”

They also attached a screen grab of the original controversial post.

BBC World News’ Babita Sharma retweeted the controversial post, branding it “vile” in view of her own 33,000 followers.

The 41-year-old stated: “A shocking, vile tweet that you take a screen grab of because you know it will soon be deleted.”

The journalist later shared a now-deleted screenshot revealed that Lord Sugar’s account had blocked her.

Before he deleted the tweet, Lord Sugar responded to several messages from Twitter users criticising him.

Sharing one from someone who retweeted the original post, he said: “Why did you re tweet it ...if it is so bad.”(sic)

He then reiterated the sentiment to another social media user, saying: “If its so bad why have you re tweeted it.”

The BBC press office has since tweeted their 144,000 Twitter followers saying: “Lord Sugar has acknowledge this was a seriously misjudged tweet, and he’s in no doubt about our view on this. It’s right he’s apologised unreservedly.”

Lord Sugar has now deleted all the tweets on the matter except for his apology and a retweet of the BBC's statement.

It comes after the Senegal World Cup 2018 team defeated Poland yesterday, scoring two goals to their one.

Defender Thiago Cionek and forward M'Baye Niang scored for the side, and the team has the best win rate of any African nation.

Express.co.uk contacted a representative for Lord Sugar asking for comment, but were told they were not available at this time.