Far-right party complain about Jo Brand

Members of the far-right BNP have complained to police about a joke Jo Brand cracked on Live At The Apollo.

The comic was questioned by officers after the group’s deputy leader, Simon Darby, claimed that the gag amounted to incitement to cause racial harassment. Bizarrely, he claimed: ‘The BNP is technically an ethnic group.’

Darby lodged his complained after hearing Brand’s routine about the BNP’s membership list being leaked on to the internet.

In a stand-up routine broadcast on BBC One January 16, Brand said: ‘Let’s start with some important political news. Did you hear this right that BNP members and supporters have had their names and addresses published on the internet? Hurrah! Now we know who to send the poo to.’

Hammersmith police confirmed they had recieved the complaint and interviewed one of the show’s producers. A file has reportedly been sent to the Crown Prosecution Service, who will determine whether there is any evidence to proceed.

But a police source told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The BNP aren’t even clear themselves as to what offence she is meant to have committed. The chances of this going any further are very remote.

'It is an absurd case. A lot of police time and money appears to have been wasted investigating what for all intents and purposes is just a joke.’

‘The idea that the BNP are claiming they are the victim of a race offence is mildly amusing, to say the least.’

The BNP’s Richard Barnbrook added: ‘I would like to see Jo Brand charged with something like aggravated assault because as far as we are concerned it is harassment.’

Published: 31 Jan 2009