OASIS - GALLAGHER RETRACTS BLUR AIDS ATTACK

OASIS guitarist NOEL GALLAGHER has apologised for wishing AIDS on members of BLUR at the height of the bands' rivalry in the mid-1990s.

The WONDERWALL rocker insists he was tricked into making the controversial comment aimed at DAMON ALBARN and ALEX JAMES by a journalist while under the influence of drugs.

He says, "It was kinda a bit of a stitch up by the journalist. I was in this dressing room after we played Irvine Beach (Scotland) in that Big Top, and we were all f**ked taking drugs - she was taking drugs and all, and I won't name her on the f**king radio because that's probably not the best thing legally to do - but I kinda thought we were speaking off the record, but of course there was a tape recorder on.

"But, there you go. I obviously don't wish that… A bad cold I should have said. Flu maybe?"