Vegas rapped over schools joke

Johnny Vegas has angered teachers by jokingly telling children to take threatening weapons to class.

His comments have now been cut from a CD-Rom that is to be distributed to hundreds of schools in Manchester.

Bizarrely, given Vegas's unhealthy image, the disc was planned to promote the benefits of sport.

But teachers said he was encouraging violence in a clip where he waves a wooden club above his head and says: "Stuck for a present for your teacher? Take that in. You'll never get a bad grade again. Just hand it over in a very threatening manner."

Monica Gault, of the National Association of Headteachers, told Manchester Online: "This is totally inappropriate. I am shocked.

"You never know what seeds this may be sowing. If you have got children that are that way inclined anyway, it may just put an idea in their heads."

Liberal Democrat councillor Simon Ashley added: "This is typical Johnny Vegas humour and if this was solely directed at an adult audience, there wouldn't be a problem."

Manchester City Council admitted: "We acknowledge there is a slight chance it could be misinterpreted" and agreed for the scene to be cut.

Published: 17 Nov 2003