A young British Muslim who dressed as a suicide bomber during a protest against cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad apologised "wholeheartedly" today to the families of the July 7 bombings and said it had not been his aim to cause offence.

Omar Khayam, speaking outside his home in Bedford, said that he hoped he would never have to make such a protest again.

But he added that his participation in the protest outside the Danish Embassy in London on Friday remained valid because of the hurt caused to Muslims around the world by the publication of the cartoons in a Danish newspaper.

Accompanied by the chairman of his local mosque and by Patrick Hall, Labour MP for Bedford, Mr Khayam, 22, said: "I found the pictures deeply offensive as a Muslim and I felt the Danish newspaper had been provocative and controversial, deeply offensive and insensitive.

"Just because we have the right of free speech and a free media, it does not mean we may say and do as we please and not take into account the effect it will have on others. But by me dressing the way I did, I did just that, exactly the same as the Danish newspaper, if not worse.

"My method of protest has offended many people, especially the families of the victims of the July bombings. This was not my intention. What happened in July was a tragedy and un-Islamic.

"I do not condone these murderous acts, do not support terrorism or extremism and would like to apologise unreservedly and wholeheartedly to the families of the victims. I understand it was wrong, unjustified and insensitive of me to protest in this way."

Mr Khayam's apology came as Scotland Yard announced that it had set up a special squad to investigate whether any offence was committed during the London protests on Friday and Saturday, at which other demonstrators wielded placards threatening a repeat of the 9/11 and 7/7 attacks.

Pictures of Mr Khayam, a student, will be among those studied by the Scotland Yard team, which will also examine police CCTV and sound recordings, identify and offenders and pass on evidence of any offences to the Crown Prosecution Service.

The Metropolitan Police said that it was "determined that this investigation will be as swift, efficient and thorough as possible, as is reasonable for the crimes committed".

The demonstrators' actions were also condemned by Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary. Answering an emergency Commons question, Mr Clarke said that possible prosecutions were a matter for the police and prosecuting authorities.

Mr Clarke told the Commons that he was pleased the response to the publication of the Danish cartoons had "in general been respectful and restrained in the best traditions of British tolerance".

But David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, said that the line on what was "acceptable civilised behaviour" had been crossed by some of the demonstrators last Friday.

Mr Clarke added that the Government stood "in full solidarity" with the Danish Government in "resisting this violence". At least six people have been killed in protests against Danish and other European diplomatic missions across the Islamic world in recent days.

The Home Secretary said: "Nothing can justify the violence aimed at European embassies or at the country of Denmark. We understand the offence caused by the cartoons ... but freedom of expression must be exercised with respect for the views of others, including their religious beliefs.

"Such attacks on the citizens of Denmark and people of other European countries are completely unacceptable."

The emergency question was tabled by David Winnick, the Labour MP for Walsall North, after concerns were voiced over the policing of the demonstrations outside the Danish Embassy.

Mr Winnick said it was "entirely unacceptable for a bunch of hooligans and thugs in London to demand that people be beheaded and to glorify the atrocities of July 7 and call for further atrocities to be committed in Britain".

He said that the message should go out that "never again on British soil will we see the kind of slogans and incitement to murder that so disgraced this country last Friday".

Mr Clarke replied: "I very much agree with your remarks. I do think the actions you describe were unacceptable."

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