Steve Emerson
Steve Emerson claimed the UK's second city was a "no-go zone" for "non-Muslims YouTube

Twitter users have reacted with gusto after self-styled "terrorism expert" Steve Emerson claimed on Fox News that Birmingham was a "no-go zone" for "non-Muslims".

Although Emerson later issued an apology for his "terrible error" the Twittersphere has unsurprisingly exploded with thousands of tweets to educate others with nonsense facts - ranging from the sarcastic to the hilarious. Even Labour leader Ed Miliband joined in.

The hashtag #FoxNewsFacts has been trending since Sunday night, after Emerson - the author of six books and a documentary called "Jihad in America" - made the remark.

Speaking on Fox News, he claimed Europe was not doing enough to combat the rise of Islamic extremism, stating: "In Britain, it's not just no-go zones, there are actual cities like Birmingham that are totally Muslim where non-Muslims just simply don't go in.

"And in parts of London, there are actually Muslim religious police that actually beat and actually wound seriously anyone who doesn't dress according to Muslim, religious Muslim attire."

Emerson also described Birmingham as one of a number of European cities "where sharia courts were set up, where Muslim density is very intense, where the police don't go in, and where it's basically a separate country almost, a country within a country."

According to the 2011 census, just over a fifth of Birmingham's population is Muslim - while 46% identify as Christian.

Here are some of our favourite #FoxNewsFacts tweets:

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