The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has vowed to stand by comedian Russell Brand following his resignation from the BBC.

Brand, who is on the current cover of the latest edition of the organisation's Vegetarian Starter Kit, quit over a series of prank calls he made to actor Andrew Sachs.

PETA said they had received a number of complaints suggesting that Brand should be replaced on the cover.

However, the organisation's Director Robbie LeBlanc said that the comedian, a two-time winner of PETA's Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrity contest, would remain on the cover.

"The cover will have him on it because Mr Sachs, who is also a PETA supporter, has accepted Mr Brand's apology, and that's good enough for us,” he said.

Brand, who claimed on air that he had slept with Sachs' granddaughter, has taken “complete responsibility” for the comments he and broadcaster Jonathan Ross made during his BBC Radio 2 show on October 18th.

Meanwhile, the BBC announced last night that Ross had been suspended without pay for three months - a penalty which will cost the TV personality almost £1.3million.

Lesley Douglas, the controller of BBC Radio 2 and the woman responsible for bringing both Brand and Ross to the station, also tendered her resignation.

Brand caused controversy last month as host of the MTV Video Music awards in America when he called President George W Bush a “retard”.