Chiswick duo Ant and Dec are to hand back a comedy gong after allegations it was wrongly awarded to them.

According to reports the pair received the People's Choice prize at the 2005 British Comedy Awards - after organisers promised presenter Robbie Williams they would win it.

An investigation found Catherine Tate's show received more votes and the public were encouraged to keep on calling premium rate lines even after the title had been announced.

The claims come after an internal inquiry by law firm Olswang which found the former Take That star was "happy to present an award if the recipients were Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly".

The first half of the awards ceremony had been broadcast live on December 14.

However while ITN News was being broadcast instead of the awards show Ant and Dec were wrongly announced as the winners.

During the second half of the "live" show viewers were asked to keep on calling premium rate voting lines even though the award had already been handed out for Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway.

The report states: "Robbie Williams was invited to present an award. It was understood that he would be happy to present an award if the recipients were Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

"In order to ensure his attendance, this assurance was given, albeit at a time when the winners of all the jury awards had been decided and Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly had not been selected.

"As such it was an assurance that could not legitimately have been guaranteed, as the only award still to be decided was the People's Choice Award, the winner of which was then unknown and dependent upon the public vote."

It adds: "While it can be concluded that the assurance was given to ensure Robbie Williams' attendance to present an award, it cannot be concluded that this was the reason why the wrong winner of the People's Choice Award was announced."

The report concluded that there was no evidence that Robbie Williams or Ant and Dec were aware of any misconduct.

Ant and Dec are said to have been "appalled" at the revelations and were today planning to send their award back to ITV.