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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
I'm surprised that the episode showed the gypsy selling clothes pegs (not sure how that is racist, but there we go) he should have had them offering to tarmac the drive, taking the deposit and never returning or selling 'lucky heather' in the town centre, much more up-to-date! I've worked on a gypsy site in a previous job (as a floor layer) and the lady we were working for was very nice, so were her neighbors, so i'm not against gypsies at all, but this PC @#$% has gone on far too long.
Posted by: bigeasy_uk on Thu Mar 27 03:17PM | Report abuseThis country is on a melt down,everyone is a mental case including Gordon Brown.
Posted by: longjohn012002 on Thu Mar 27 05:11PM | Report abuseFor goodness' sake!
Posted by: jlytucker on Fri Mar 28 05:48PM | Report abusei used to watch basil n this episode was one of my favourites.i was only about 12 at the time, and i didnt even get it when basil made the joke that brought the 'racist episode' into the light. these ppl who reported it most likley hadnt seen the programme fully n av nuffin better 2 do that pik out on 1 tiny fault that happened 6 years ago.
Posted by: charlotte_kh93 on Fri Mar 28 09:01PM | Report abuse6 years ago racism wasnt even a massive thing. kids didnt av lessons in school about how bad racism is. not saying racism is acceptable, but this is six years ago.
Posted by: charlotte_kh93 on Fri Mar 28 09:04PM | Report abuseRespect is a two way street, if you respect society, then you can expect it to respect you! otherwise **** off!
Posted by: fliptopbonce on Sat Mar 29 06:12AM | Report abuseI therefore no longer expect to have someone try to sell me pegs or flowers in the middle of Canterbury!!! They can't have their pegs and sell them!!
Posted by: phil_the_greek_boy on Fri Apr 04 12:59AM | Report abuseAll you guys angry at poor Basil, you should try, like me, living next to those people. Its a nightmare. After five years, and so much trouble, I frankly want to kill myself some days.
Posted by: cksunnyside2 on Sat Jan 03 04:31PM | Report abuseNO NEAD FOR ANY RACISM!!! NOT ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR FOR A CHILDRENS SHOW ESPECIALLY!! THEY SHOULD CLOSE THE SHOW FOR GOOD... AND I THINK PEOPLE HAV GROWN OUT OF PUPPETS NOW ANYWAY!
Posted by: big_fred08 on Sat Jan 03 10:21PM | Report abuseThe P.C brigade at it again I see !! If they feel that they have to complain then do it through the TV Watchdog thingy or the BBC, but the Police. FOR F**KS SAKE !!! I'd have loved it if the complainer had been done with wasting police time. That for me would have been justice. They've got enough to do with the state this country is in nowadays without bampots phoning 999 wanting a puppet fox arrested, lol.
Posted by: graemewwilson on Tue Jan 06 03:54PM | Report abuse