Website releases pirate episode

The BBC has launched an investigation after a pirated episode of Ricky Gervais’s Extras was leaked onto the internet.

The episode, guest starring Samuel L Jackson, was discovered on a Swedish website ahead of its transmission on Thursday.

The BBC said the episode was briefly available for download but has since been taken down.

A spokeswoman said the corporation took any infringement of copyright "seriously".

The BBC has previously suffered leaks of the new series of Doctor Who, which was eventually tracked down to a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation employee, who was then sacked.

Published: 16 Aug 2005