Sarah Kennedy, the Radio 2 disc jockey, has been reprimanded after telling listeners she could not see black people in the dark.

The 57-year-old presenter, who has been admonished for making another racially insensitive gaffe in the past, made the remark while discussing the need for children to wear reflective clothing on their way to school so they can be seen by drivers.

“That’s not just children," she said. "You know what happened to me yesterday. It was this black guy. It’s lucky he opened his mouth to yawn or do something and I saw him. He was wearing a black hat, black clothes and he was just invisible.”

Her comments prompted a stream of protest from listeners on message boards. One complained: “This is just one in a long line of irresponsible remarks from Sarah Kennedy, but the BBC don’t have a problem with her.”

Another said: “I’m a great fan of Radio 2’s early morning programme, and teach radio as part of my job role. I’d be disgusted to play back those comments to students.”

A listener added: “OK in 1957 but not PC in 2007.”

Kennedy has previously opined that black men dominate athletics because they are accustomed to being pursued by lions.

A spokeswoman for the corporation apologised for the remark and said that the presenter had been "spoken to". Kennedy attracted an audience of 4.51 million in the third quarter of 2007 - 10,000 fewer than the same period last year.

Other visitors to message boards rallied to the disc jockey's defence. One wrote: “Leaving aside the fact she said ’until he opened his mouth’, she was making a point that too many pedestrians (and I include myself in that) wear dark clothing at night.”

Another said skin tone was relevant in the issue of seeing pedestrians in the dark, stating: “This is nothing to do with prejudice - it is a fact based on the science of light reflecting off objects.”

Kennedy prompted concern earlier this year after slurring her way through her show.

She mispronounced words and let sentences tail off in a rambling performance, which included offering to send some “panties” to soldiers in Afghanistan and referring to the Princess of Wales wearing a “pink polka blot” dress. She also said that the victim in the Phil Spector murder trial had had a "gunshot to the month". The BBC said a sore throat had caused breathing difficulties.

In 1999, she caused complaints when she described a clergyman as an "old prune" to his face and called her fellow DJ Ken Bruce an "old fool". She also accused a newsreader of soiling her underwear.

Other off-beam comments have included, a propos of nothing: "Fish and chips - again. It's me and the head of Radio 4, gob on a stick. I'll be having dinner tonight." Also, after playing a Boyzone record: "I need you, I need you! Can you mow? Have you a mower? Hee hee!"

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