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Basil Brush is being investigated after a complaint was made about an alleged racist joke in the puppet's BBC series.
A complaint was received by the police following a recent screening of an old episode that features the fox telling jokes about gypsies, reports Metro.
The episode, which was originally shown six years ago, features a sketch where a gypsy woman tries to sell Basil some wooden pegs.
A police spokesperson said: "We can confirm we have received a complaint about a TV show featuring Basil Brush from a member of the public in February. The complaint was logged as an incident of a racist nature."
Joseph Jones, a spokesperson for the Romany, Gipsy and Irish Traveller Network, said: "Racist abuse of black people is quite rightly no longer deemed acceptable, but when a comedian makes a joke on TV about pikeys or gypos, there's no comeback."
Did you see the offending episode? Do you think Basil should be banished from our screens?
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User comments
This really is political correctness in extremis! I hope to goodness the police are not deploying any resources to pursue this complaint
Posted by: christinemhadden on Mon Mar 17 01:12PM | Report abusehow stupid basil is great and long shall he reign
Posted by: pump_house on Mon Mar 17 01:12PM | Report abuseThe next thing we'll have is when Basil Say's "Boom Boom", he will be accused of threatening acts of terror. The World has gone MAD.
Posted by: omagh1 on Mon Mar 17 01:13PM | Report abusePeople should really find soemthing better to do...
Posted by: battleengine on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuseHave the police got nothing else better than this , its a puppet, it was a joke get a life
Posted by: g.sharman on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuseI cant believe that this is making news, whoever made the complaint needs to get a grip of there own insecurities and get a life.
Posted by: smcconnell6891 on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuseWhat a total farse, a police investigation for something like this. You just wonder if some people haven't got anything better to do with trheir time.
Posted by: bovisfamily on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuseget a life"!
Posted by: davelynex on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuselock him up and throw away the key... bum...bum.
Posted by: mcgregor396 on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuseIt would be interesting to know how Joseph Jones even saw the episode. How many travellers have a tv licence!
Posted by: diana888 on Mon Mar 17 01:14PM | Report abuse