A DJ stormed off his breakfast show after an on-air bust up with his co-presenter over rice cakes.

Straight-taking Duncan Barkes told 23-year-old rookie Caroline Kingsmill to "stick it" when she took out chocolate-covered rice cakes for breakfast.

The 30-year-old Spirit FM presenter, who had moaned the smell made him sick, grabbed the snacks and hurled them across the studio before leaving.

Studio managers listened aghast as he thundered: "Find someone else to do your breakfast show. And you can take your rice cakes and stuff them."

Flustered Miss Kingsmill, who was left presenting the show on her own, told The Argus: "We had been niggling with each other on air. He was getting a bit rude and a bit personal. I was wearing a black top with sparkly bits on it and he said I looked like a trapeze artist.

"Then I took in a yoghurt and rice cakes and he just lost it. I did take in cakes for him but those went across the studio."

Mr Barkes, who has been handed a one-day suspension by studio bosses, accused his younger colleague during an angry on-air exchange of being "deliberately provocative" and "strutting like a peacock". The station's switchboard was then jammed with listeners offering Miss Kingsmill messages of support.

Rustington-born Mr Barkes, who lists among his hobbies "barking at tourists" and lives in a beach hut, yesterday stood by his actions but offered an olive branch. He said: "I'm covering the breakfast show, which is fine. But I can't hack 5am starts and I genuinely have this dislike of rice cakes."

He accused his co-host of looking for a fight, saying: "She's a lively girl but you know what women can be like. I've just had a carpeting from the managing director over rice cakes but I don't regret walking out. I think I have a right to voice opinions and I think I'm entitled to say I don't want these things in the studio.

"We'll go out and have a few glasses of wine and sort things out."

Mr Barkes is no stranger to controversy. Listeners protested outside Spirit FM's Chichester studio when he used his show to name and shame houses across West Sussex with "naff" Christmas lights.

Station boss Steve Oates was buttering his toast when the latest row unfolded.

He said: "Perhaps he had a bad weekend or something. He's a bit spikey. He likes to speak his mind and on this occasion he pushed her a bit far. I've spoken to Duncan and we will be all right for Wednesday."

Spirit FM is the commercial station for Chichester, Littlehampton, Arundel, Bognor, Rustington, Midhurst and West Worthing.