The actor Ricky Gervais has criticised suggestions by the Pope that people who choose to have pets rather than children are selfish.

Speaking to the Radio Times podcast, the 60 year old writer of ‘After Life’ said :

“I think what he believes in is ridiculous.

"It's a stupid thing to say, isn't it? How can not having children be selfish? How can it be selfish not to bring something into the world that doesn't exist on any level?

"It's not like there's a big line or cage of unborn foetuses going: 'We want to be born'. It doesn't make any sense."

At his weekly general audience at the Vatican last week, Pope Francis said he was concerned about a decline in global birth rates and believed it was partly because pets were taking the place of children. He also claimed people were being selfish for choosing a pet over a child :

"Today, we see a form of selfishness. We see that some people do not want to have a child.

"Sometimes they have one, and that's it, but they have dogs and cats that take the place of children. This may make people laugh but it is a reality."

Ricky Gervais says there are many reasons he and his partner, Jane Fallon have chosen not to have children themselves.