Ananova:

First it was her lyrics that shocked.

Then it was a picture of her posing with a knife.

That Katy Perry sure knows how to cause a stir - and now she's saying sorry.

The I Kissed A Girl singer sparked outrage when a snap of her holding a three-inch knife emerged.

Speculation was rife that the picture was taken to give her an "edgy" look for the publicity of her debut album, One Of The Boys.

Now Katy's publicist has told MTV News: "Katy Perry is against all violence.

"The photo in question was taken in 2005 and is in no way related to the current events in the UK."

Various parties in the UK were enraged, with Richard Taylor, father to 10-year-old Damilola who was stabbed to death at the end of 2000, telling The Sun: "She must be out of her mind to pose for a photo like this.

"There is nothing glamorous about knives - they wreck families. Any youngster seeing her will think it is OK to carry a blade."