THE telecommunications giant BT was accused of a shoddy blunder yesterday after it included Donegal in an advert celebrating the London Olympics.

Newspaper adverts over the weekend claimed towns from Donegal to Dundee would be celebrating in the countdown to the 2012 games.

The DUP Assembly member Simon Hamilton spotted the mistake.

"I'm sure the people of Durham are pleased to see the UK play host to the Olympic Games in 2012. I'm not so sure about the people of Donegal," he said.

The British prime minister, Gordon Brown, was in Beijing for the Olympic torch handover at the weekend and there were events across the regions to mark the date.

Hamilton added: "The official handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London is certainly cause for celebration across the UK and, as one of the 2012 games' official partners, it is good to see BT do their bit to help instil a sense of national pride in the arrival of the games to our capital in four years' time.

"However, I would have thought that a company like BT, which has such a substantial and long-established operation in Northern Ireland, would not make the blunder that they have by seeming to claim that Donegal is part of the UK and thus celebrating the countdown to the 2012 Games in London.

"This mistake really is a shoddy one from BT, who should know better."

A spokesman from BT acknowledged the error.

"It looks as if our enthusiasm for Team GB's fantastic performance got the better of us and we apologise for any confusion," he said.

Fidel Castro, meanwhile, has claimed corrupt judges were to blame for Cuba's sub-par showing at the Beijing Olympics.

The ailing, 82-year-old ex-president also said he wanted big changes in Olympic training on the communist-run island.

Castro alleged judges blatantly stole semi-final fights from two Cuban boxers.

He also expressed solidarity with Cuba's Angel Matos, who kicked a referee in the face after he was disqualified in a bronze-medal taekwondo match. Taekwondo officials want Matos and his coach banned for life from the sport.

But Castro suggested in an essay published yesterday the judge must have been bribed.

The Cuban team won two gold medals in China - one in the men's high hurdles, the other in Graeco-Roman wrestling - down from nine in Athens. They failed to win gold in boxing, a sport they have dominated in recent games.

Castro said a "mafia" succeeded in "laughing at the rules of the Olympic Committee".

Ireland's Olympic athletes will return home to a heroes' welcome today with the medal winning boxers taking centre stage.

Hundreds of fans are expected to greet the team when they arrive at Dublin Airport this evening but authorities have warned well-wishers of limited space.

"We would ask people to bear in mind that there is limited capacity in the arrivals halls for large volumes of people," a spokeswoman said.

"In addition, normal passenger operations will be continuing at the same time."

The Olympic Council of Ireland will host a special homecoming celebration for the team at the airport, with Sports Minister Martin Cullen and the Chinese Ambassador attending.

A lone piper will then escort the team through the airport, where they will be met by family and friends.