SOUTH PARK "STEVE IRWIN WENT SOUTH"

Steve Irwin

'South Park' creators have outraged fans of the late Steve Irwin by poking fun at his death. The latest episode of the satiric sketch, entitled 'Hell On Earth 2006', shows the 'Crocodile Hunter' attending a fancy dress party in Hell - along with the late Princess Diana and Hitler - with a stingray poking out of his bleeding chest. Irwin is then kicked out of the party by the Devil because he isn't in fancy dress. The scenes have sparked outrage among fans and media regulators because they appear to ridicule the wildlife expert's shocking death in September, when a stingray's barb pierced his chest while he was snorkeling near the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. British broadcasting watchdog Media watch branded the episode "grossly insensitive". Media watch director, John Beyer, said: "This is bad taste. Steve Irwin's family is still grieving. To lampoon somebody's death like this is unacceptable."'South Park' makers Comedy Central have defended the controversial episode, saying it is no different from their usual work. A spokesman said: "It has offended people in the past and probably will again. Regular watchers would not be shocked."