Peterborough's Channel 4 newsreader complains to press regulator about Kelvin MacKenzie column in The Sun

The paper’s former editor wrote he could hardly believe his eyes when he saw Fatima Manji, who attended Jack Hunt School, fronted Channel 4’s coverage of the Nice terror attack wearing a hijab.

That prompted Ms Manji to accuse Mr MacKenzie of trying to smear Muslims and smear her by suggesting she would sympathise with a terrorist.

Ben de Pear, editor of Channel 4 News, said: “Yesterday Channel 4 News correspondent Fatima Manji made an official complaint to IPSO following Kelvin MacKenzie’s column published in The Sun on Monday.

“ITN believes the article was in breach of a number of provisions of the Editor’s Code, in particular discrimination, harassment by intimidation and inaccuracy.

“A further complaint was also made by ITN CEO John Hardie which fully supports and endorses the grounds and reasoning of Fatima’s complaint. ITN accepts and understands that our reporters and presenters are in the public eye and can expect criticism and comment from many quarters, including newspaper columnists.

“What it cannot accept is an employee being singled out on the basis of her religion. We are not going to simply stand by when an employee is subject to an act of religious discrimination.”

Mr MacKenzie had written: “Was it appropriate for her to be on camera when there had been yet another shocking slaughter by a Muslim?

“Was it done to stick one in the eye of the ordinary viewer who looks at the hijab as a sign of the slavery of Muslim women by a male-dominated and clearly violent religion?

“Would the C4 editor have used a Hindu to report on the carnage at the Golden Temple of Amritsar? Of course not.”

Ex Peterborough schoolgirl Fatima Manji accuses Kelvin MacKenzie of ‘smearing’ Muslims in Channel 4 News row