A Dutch radio presenter has been sacked after jokingly asking listeners to mail powder to the station. The joke worked on wordplay – as the Dutch word for mail, is pronounced the same as the word for, baking powder.

Giel Beelen told listeners he was owed wages, and pleaded for letters containing powder to be sent to radio station KRO. Management at the station said they found the jokes of Giel irresponsible, and out of place, during the continuing anthrax scares. The presenter twice repeated the address of the station.

Giel is astonished at being sacked, reports the Dutch newspaper Amersfoortse Courant. “There is one item in my programme that I call ‘send mail to the post’. Since my program is broadcast from 4am to 6am, a lot of bakers were listening and could laugh about it,” said Giel.

“Naturally no one has sent us a letter filled with powder and even the directors found it funny. This time, by giving the address of the KRO, they all went hysterical. I went too far this time, I guess.”