Not so long ago, controversy erupted in Malta over the use of a picture of Jesus’ Last Supper to advertise burgers and pizzas. Now a similar storm has erupted in the UK over the use of a sausage roll instead of Baby Jesus.

Greggs, the largest bakery chain in the UK, has apologised for a Christmas advert that replaced the baby Jesus with a sausage roll in a traditional nativity scene.

The offending image shows the Three Wise Men surrounding one of Greggs' trademark sausage rolls, rather than the newborn Jesus, Sky reports.

But the image has been deemed tasteless rather than tasty by pressure group the Freedom Association, with chief executive Simon Richards describing the image as "sick" and those behind it as "cowards".

The spoof has proved more popular with other social media users, with calls for those offended to "get a grip" and another saying it had "made her day".

Last July, New York’s Best was compelled to change the Last Supper advert after the ruckus that it led to, including Patrijotti Maltin activists going as far as removing the Jesus figure from the advert.