Race chief calls for C4 to face government rebuke

Equality chief Trevor Phillips today demanded Channel 4 face government action over a mounting racism row.

The chairman of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights wrote to Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell saying he feared the broadcaster had breached its charter by refusing to act over "racist" comments in Big Brother and Shipwrecked.

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The desert island reality show is at the centre of a fresh storm over comments made by one participant, 18-year-old former public schoolgirl Lucy Buchanan, who called for the return of slavery and said "black people" should not be brought to Britain.

Mr Phillips said he was demanding that Ms Jowell investigate whether the Channel 4 board -which includes film-maker Lord Puttnam and Royal Opera House chief Tony Hall - has failed in its role to hold the broadcaster to account.

"It is disappointing the board seems unable to acknowledge any error," he said.

MPs and race leaders called on the Government to step in after the broadcaster issued a "whitewash" apology over the Big Brother furore. Channel 4 chairman Luke Johnson offered only "regret" and announced a "review of the editorial... processes that support Big Brother".

"Clearly many people were worried and offended by what they saw,î he said. "I profoundly regret any offence that may have been caused."

But he insisted the programme would stay on air and refused to address the station's duty of care to a reportedly suicidal Jade Goody.

TV insiders today suggested that Channel 4 is hoping to stave off any punitive action before media regulator Ofcom pronounces its findings on the storm.

The watchdog has received 40,000 complaints from viewers and has launched an inquiry. But it is unlikely to report for months. MPs lined up to condemn the channel for broadcasting Miss Buchanan's comments.

Labour's Shahid Malik said: "These remarks are blatantly racist and offensive. There is no public interest in Channel 4 screening them, except to shock. They seem to have learned nothing after Celebrity Big Brother."

Black campaign group The 1990 Trust has launched an online petition against the "racist toff", saying: "Lucy Buchanan's remarks put Jade Goody in the shade."

Buchanan, who is on her gap year before Bristol University, told speechless fellow contestants that Britain has "way too many cultures" and fat people are "offensive".

Richard Smyth, Lucy's former headteacher at St Peter's School in York, told the Yorkshire Post: "Lucy had an unblemished record during the time she was with us.

She worked hard and was successful.

"However, I was surprised when she told me that she was going to appear on the TV show." Mr Smyth gave permission for a TV crew to film footage at the school last summer.

"We had a black head of school from Guyana last year, and that is a statement of intent for St Peter's and our system of meritocracy," he said.

"Any student who displayed any racist behaviour would face the most severe disciplinary action."

Lucy studied for her A-Levels at the £19,662 per year boarding school, before leaving last summer.