C4 denies distorting Islamic views

12 April 2012

Channel 4 has rejected claims that it spliced together extracts from speeches by Islamic preachers to distort their views, as it emerged a second Dispatches programme is being investigated by police.

The broadcaster said it was confident of successfully defending a complaint made to Ofcom by West Midlands Police about its Undercover Mosque documentary.

And a spokeswoman said following the request for untransmitted material from another programme on Monday night they, consistent with other broadcasters, require the police to obtain a court order before such material is handed over and "will be responding to the police request shortly".

The first Dispatches programme, which went to air in January, featured footage shot at a number of mosques and showed extremist preachers deriding homosexuals and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers.

Speaking after it emerged that West Midlands Police sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over whether to prosecute Channel 4 for stirring up racial hatred, Dispatches' commissioning editor, Kevin Sutcliffe, insisted the hour-long programme had been in the public interest.

In a strongly-worded statement, Mr Sutcliffe said: "We are very confident of successfully defending this unfairness complaint against the programme if Ofcom chooses to consider it.

"West Midlands Police have made a very general allegation of unfairness against the programme and have produced no evidence to support their claims. We find it extraordinary that they have gone public on these concerns without discussing them with us first."

In a joint statement with the CPS, West Midlands Police said its inquiry had initially looked at whether there had been any criminal offences committed by three people featured in the programme, but had then extended to its editing.

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Metropolitan Police are looking into the edition broadcast on Monday night. Dispatches: Britain Under Attack explored the roots of Islamic extremism in the UK.

A Met spokesman said they were assessing the content to determine if any offences may have been disclosed, adding: "We will also be liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service in due course."

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