Dino Costas Contostavlos, better known as N-Dubz rapper Dappy, has said sorry after he called for the killer of headteacher Philip Lawrence to be be freed in a video for his latest song. Photo: John Phillips/PA Wire

Rapper Dappy has apologised after a reference to the killer of London headteacher Philip Lawrence appeared in the video for his new single.

The message “Free Leo Chindamo” will be removed from the opening credits of the promo film for Tarzan 2, and the N-Dubz star will donate all his “personal royalties” from the track to crime reduction charity Nacro after facing a storm of criticism.

Dappy said he “honestly wasn’t aware” of the high-profile crime which shocked the nation in December 1995.

He wrote: “I knew his (Chindamo’s) brother from when I was young. In no way did I intend to cause upset and certainly didn’t know about his past. My heart goes out to Mr Lawrence’s family. I know too well the pain of losing a loved one, sincerely Dappy.”

Chindamo was jailed last year after breaching the terms of his licence by meeting a gang member, breaking a curfew and failing a breath test, it is understood.

He was originally jailed for life with a minimum of 12 years after stabbing Mr Lawrence outside his school in west London.

A spokesman for Dappy said the Tarzan 2 video, which had more than 225,000 views on YouTube since it was uploaded on July 3, had been taken down and will be re-edited without the reference to Chindamo.