John Lewis boss apologises for criticising France
John Lewis has apologised to France after saying the country was "finished" and describing Gare du Nord station as the "squalor pit of Europe".
The comments, which were published by The Times, were made by the company's boss, Andy Street, who blasted the country as "sclerotic, hopeless and downbeat".
Apologising on Friday, Street said: "The remarks I made were supposed to be lighthearted views, and tongue in cheek. On reflection I clearly went too far. I regret the comments, and apologise unreservedly."
Speaking at a John Lewis event on Thursday, he told the audience that he had "never been to a country more ill at ease", saying that "nothing works and worse, nobody cares about it".
The gaffe comes ahead of plans for the launch of a French version of the high-end department store's website.
The comments provoked a backlash amongst the French, with many taking to Twitter to vent their fury.