Entomophobia watch

The president of Turkmenistan was so horrified by the sight of a cockroach scampering across the desk of the evening news program that he fired 30 employees at the state-run television station.

Thirty workers at a Turkmenistan television network have been sacked after a cockroach was seen scuttling across the newsreader's desk during a live broadcast, it has been reported.

The large brown insect crawled a full lap of the newsdesk on the 9pm news programme, Vatan, before the blooper was aired again on the 11pm edition.

The national station was bombarded with calls from disgusted viewers, who said the cockroach's guest appearance had put them off their dinner.

But the mishap was to have more far-reaching consequences than the odd uneaten meal.

Officials from Turkmenistan's ministry of culture discovered the insect's guest appearance the following morning, and swiftly informed the country's president, Kurbanguly Berdymukhamedo.

He was so horrified that he fired 30 workers from the station, the Guardian reports.

Decisive action.