LONDON (AFP) - English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore apologised Sunday for e-mail messages in which he made "inappropriate" jokes about women.

The e-mail were published by Britain's Sunday Mirror after being leaked to the tabloid by his former personal assistant.

"These were private e-mails exchanged between colleagues and friends of many years," Scudamore said in a statement released on the final day of the 2013-14 Premier League season.

"They were received from and sent to my private and confidential e-mail address, which a temporary employee who was with the organisation for only a matter of weeks, should not have accessed and was under no instruction to do so.

"Nonetheless I accept the contents are inappropriate and apologise for any offence caused, particularly to this person. It was an error of judgment that I will not make again."

Tessa Jowell, a former British Culture Secretary and now a lawmaker with the opposition Labour Party, said Scudamore's remarks "undermined" his public support of women's football.

She told BBC Radio his comments were "incredibly disappointing", adding: "You can't have one position publicly and then be laughing privately."