A protest outside the US consulate in Libya which escalated into extreme violence has left one American official dead. The demonstrations were sparked by outrage over the YouTube trailer for a forthcoming film - made by an American in California - which depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a fraud and a womaniser. Muslims find any depiction of the Prophet an extreme insult to their faith. You might remember riots in several countries seven years ago when a Danish newspaper published 12 caricatures of the Prophet.

These are the scenes from the consulate in the capital Benghazi. Crowds of protesters apparently went crazy, firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades at the building. They outnumbered and overpowered the Libyan security guards, got inside to loot it and then set it alight. US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton confirmed that one State Department official was killed. He was shot dead. She strongly condemned the attack calling it 'vicious behaviour' and said she'd called on Libyan President Mohammed el-Megarif "to coordinate additional support to protect Americans in Libya".

Sam Bacile, the writer and director of the low-budget film, said he was 'sorry' for the American embassy, but remained defiant to finish his film which he claimed was 'not designed to attack Muslims'. He's apparently now in hiding.