Greggs has apologised for its Christmas advert that replaces the baby Jesus with a sausage role in the nativity scene.

The bakery chain released images promoting its new Advent calendar including one that showed three wise men gazing in wonder at the manger. But instead of God Incarnate a Greggs pastry is lying in the manger.

The stunt has sparked fury online with some social media users pointing out Jesus was Jewish and so featuring a pork-product in his place could be offensive to Jews.

One user Beth Rosenberg tweeted: 'Out of interest do you think the people at Greggs understand that Jesus was Jewish and serving up a pork sausage roll in the manger is unbelievably inappropriate?'

James Mather said: 'I'm no prude, but equating Jesus, a Jew, to a sausage roll really is deeply offensive on all sorts of levels.'

Greggs said in a statement: 'We're really sorry to have caused any offence, this was never our intention.'

The particular image was one of a number released for the company's advent calendar that included Father Christmas with pastry flakes in his beard, a Greggs shop in a snow globe and a woman appearing to kiss a chicken slice under the mistletoe.

The Advent calendar goes on sale in some Greggs stores on Monday costing £24. The chain says the calendar is worth between £35 and £60, and the vouchers can be redeemed in shops from December 1 up to and including Christmas Eve. Some people will find gift cards up to the value of £25 in their calendar.