Britain is in need of re-education about World War II. That was the verdict of Polish community officials who spoke out against last week's comments by Cambridge-educated comic Stephen Fry on George Matlock's London Bridge show.

Listeners of Anglo-Polish Radio ORLA said Fry's comments on British television were unacceptable and he should apologise for his lack of historical knowledge.

Fry last week criticised on Channel 4 News the British Conservative Party's decision to form a European alliance with political parties which include Poland's Law & Justice (PiS). But he also remarked "we know which side of the border Auschwitz was on". This comment inflamed Polish opinion.

Fry himself declined to appear on the radio show to face his Polish critics, but issued a statement to Radio ORLA:

"Stephen Fry is politely declining this invitation to join you on Radio Orla. He hopes the Polish people understand his remarks are addressed not at them or their country with any intention other than to alert the British Conservative party to unsavoury homophobic and anti-semitic opinions against which we must all be on our guard."

Filip Slipaczek, the press advisor to the Institute of Polish-Jewish Studies, said he was appalled by Fry's television comments. "His comment implies it was a Polish concentration camp. It was in fact a Nazi German concentration camp. With people's knowledge fading about World War II and survivors passing away, it becomes even more important that people know the truth. Stephen Fry is a university graduate and should have known better. He needs to make an unreserved apology," said Slipaczek.

A member of the Conservative Party, Slipaczek added: "Some might question the British Conservatives' choice of alliance in Poland with PiS but PiS has been a good friend of Israel so cannot be described as anti-Semitic. The Conservatives might be better questioned on forming an alliance with a right-wing party in Latvia."

Three British celebrities in the span of just over a year have attacked Poland. "We had last year Giles Coren in The Times newspaper accusing Poles of being anti-Semitic, we had BBC Radio 1 disc jockey Chris Moyles call Polish women good prostitutes, and now Stephen Fry's comments. Yet broadcaster Carol Thatcher, when she criticised the Williams sisters, the tennis players, lost her job. What is wrong with this country? Is it perfectly acceptable to criticise the Poles? No other section of the British public have had to put up with this level of discrimination," said Slipaczek.

The Labour Party's Polish interest group Labour Friends of Poland also hit back at Fry. The group's secretary Wiktor Moszczynski said: "(Fry) spoke with arrogance. But that part of Poland (Auschwitz) was taken over by the Reich, it was not just occupied territory. He may need a re-education. Absolutely."

Many listeners telephoned the show to express outrage about Fry's comments. Among the callers was Ed Zietarski, who first alerted media and the Polish community to Fry's remarks. Zietarski, a member of TOPAZ, a long-established interest group of Poles born in Britain, said: "I was shocked by the comments. But I would settle for a simple apology from Fry."

Alison Hope, editor of Discover Poland magazine, who has no Polish family links, said it was time Britons were re-educated, including Fry. "I think this as a terrible gaffe. With many Britons not knowing the history of World War II I think the nation needs to be re-educated, as well as Fry," she said.

The programme can be replayed for a week at: http://www.orla.fm/re-play/3985