Del Boy gagged

Classic BBC comedy shows are facing cuts to avoid offending viewers with racist language.

The BBC promised to edit out racist dialogue after a complaint about an old episode of Only Fools And Horses which contained the word "Paki".

The move reflects widespread disapproval in society of such terms. But a leading MP and an Only Fools And Horses expert described the decision, based on a complaint by one viewer, as "over the top".

Old TV comedy favourites could now be chopped because racist terms that were once more common are off-limits. Seventies classic Fawlty Towers also featured racist language, including the senile character, the Major, confusingly explaining the difference between "n*****s and w**s".

In the first series of Only Fools And Horses, an episode from 1981 called The Russians Are Coming showed Del Boy, played by David Jason, stocking up in case of nuclear war.

Del's Grandad then comments that a "Paki shop" would be open even in the event of a nuclear holocaust.

The BBC ruled on the use of the term that "research shows that its perceived offensiveness has increased significantly over the intervening years, and, in the absence of a particular contextual justification, its use in programmes is no longer acceptable". It said the word would be edited or obscured in future repeats.

Liberal Democrat media spokesman Don Foster said: "It is a very sensitive area but I think the BBC are going a bit over the top.

"I would be surprised if people took offence. Just as we would not follow the dodgy dealings of Del Boy, it does not mean we would watch it and use language like that.

"It is very much reflecting its time and the fact that some people in the past thought it was okay to talk like that. Are we suggesting Basil Fawlty's famous 'don't mention the war' speech from Fawlty Towers should be censored?"

Perry Aghajanoff, president of the Only Fools And Horses fan club, said: "If it was made like that, it should be shown like that.

As an Only Fools And Horses puritan, I would like to see the episode in its entirety."

The BBC said complaints would be taken into consideration, and old sitcoms would also be vetted by its editorial policy unit.