Channel 4 has pulled a documentary about Bradford social workers dealing with child abuse from its schedule tonight after local police warned the programme could inflame racial tension in the city.
The network, which normally takes great pride in its reputation for stirring up controversy, has made the self-censorship move "as a responsible broadcaster" and because of "exceptional circumstance", a Channel 4 spokeswoman said.
Channel 4's documentary, Edge of the City, focuses on a wide range of cases handled by Bradford social services, including child abuse involving Asian men targeting young white girls, which was of particular concern to West Yorkshire police.
Channel 4 took the decision to postpone the documentary after the force wrote to the broadcaster expressing its fears.
The police are understood to have been worried about the timing of the documentary in the run-up to next month's local and European elections, particularly with British National Party candidates campaigning in Bradford.
West Yorkshire police's concerns are likely to have been fuelled by a story posted on the BNP website earlier this week, which claimed the programme was a "BNP party political broadcast" and urged supporters to watch it.
"Channel 4 has decided to postpone the documentary Edge of the City, due to be broadcast tonight at 9pm, following discussions with West Yorkshire police," a Channel 4 spokeswoman confirmed.
"The police feared that the timing of the broadcast would increase community tensions in Bradford, where the documentary was filmed, with the risk that it would lead to public disorder. The documentary will be shown at a later date.
"In these exceptional circumstances, and based on the police's risk assessment on the ground, Channel 4 as a responsible broadcaster has agreed to the police's request to postpone the broadcast until a later date."
guardian
