More than 1,600 people have complained to Ofcom over Channel 4's 'hatchet job' docu-drama which imagined Ukip in power.

UKIP: The First 100 Days has already become Britain's second most complained-about one-off show of the past five years since it aired at 9pm last night.

The broadcaster was accused of anti-democratic ´fear-mongering´ for airing the drama, which painted a country divided by race riots, mass unemployment and a crashing economy.

Channel 4 said it ordered the drama - which lampooned Ukip, its leaders and its supporters - as a way of engaging people in politics in the run-up to the May General Election.

By 4.30pm today Ofcom said it had already received 1,656 complaints about alleged political bias, while an online petition calling for Channel 4 to apologise reached 2,500 signatures.

Channel 4 also received 250 complaints. A spokesman did not say what they referred to.

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Controversy: Channel 4's mockumentary on Ukip winning power faced a Twitter backlash last night

Public face: The docu-drama focused on fictional Romford East MP Deepa Kaur, played by Priyanga Burford, who is embraced by Ukip as the face of its anti-immigration stance and has to promote forced removals

Arrests: The film blended real footage with acted scenes of illegal immigrants being arrested

Voters: One scene saw the new MP greet cheering and whooping supporters at a market in her Essex town

That makes the show one of the most complained-about one-off programmes of recent years.

Only a Channel 4 Cutting Edge documentary about dog fighting last year prompted more Ofcom complaints since 2010, with a total of 1,805.

Aside from that, only regular shows such as Big Brother, The X Factor, This Morning and ITV News have received more complaints.

An Ofcom spokesman said: 'We will assess these complaints before deciding whether to investigate or not.'

The film showed Ukip winning a slim majority in May's Election, before the country sits on the brink of collapse three months later under Mr Farage's leadership.

However, many viewers felt that the drama was highly biased against the party and even undermined the broadcaster's impartiality.

Viewers immediately took to Twitter to express their fury. One said: 'This is so biased from a mainstream media [organisation], it makes me furious - and I don´t even support Ukip.'

Another wrote: 'I'm no Ukip fan, but this hatchet job Channel 4 is doing on them is quite anti-democratic and quite outrageous.'

Several Ukip supporters, meanwhile, shared details of how to complain to Ofcom with other party members as criticism mounted today.

Purple ribbon: Fictional MP Deepa Kaur. The docu-drama 'UKIP: The First 100 Days' suggests a Ukip government would lead to riots in the streets and the loss of millions of jobs after the UK leaves the EU

Fantasy: A scene from the drama. Many scenes play out in a post-cigarette-ban world of smoky pubs

Comedian Jason Manford also expressed his concern with the programme on Twitter.

He said: 'I hate Ukip as much as the next sensible human but that just wasn't very good. Was a bit too bias [sic] & not even hiding it.'

Nigel Farage, leader of Ukip, criticised the show before it aired, but said he thought it had ´backfired´ on Channel 4.

´[It is] a biased, partisan depiction of the only party that Believes in Britain,´ he said.

Suzanne Evans, Ukip deputy chairman, wrote on Twitter after the show aired: 'First three mins was brill. Rest was just daft. Won't do us any harm at all. #100daysofukip'

The only truth the documentary revealed was the bias of the commentariat class. I think it will magnify Ukip’s appeal. We need to get our country back Clacton MP Douglas Carswell

Douglas Carswell, who became Ukip’s first elected MP last October, said: 'We are doing a great deal of work in the key seats that Ukip is focused on winning and the Channel 4 mockumentary reinforces the view amongst those voters that we are presided over by a smug, arrogant, out-of-touch commentariat class.

'The mockumentary was supposed to damage Ukip but I think it’s reinforced the sense of cultural alienation and I think it makes people more likely to vote for Ukip against the cartel in Westminster.

'Our cultural elites are just not good with politics - they are out of touch with the voters of Britain.'

Mr Carswell said he found it interesting that the programme did not focus on Ukip’s 'success built on credible, liberal policies' demonstrated in recent by-elections.

The Clacton MP added: 'It’s the most egregious of bias but we have that from the state-funded and state-backed mainstream media every day. We get it from the BBC.'

Mr Carswell said he could not imagine a similar programme being made about the Green Party, adding: 'The only truth the documentary revealed was the bias of the commentariat class. I think it will magnify Ukip’s appeal. We need to get our country back.'

Channel 4's head of documentaries Nick Mirsky said the controversial drama just showed the party having 'a bit of a bumpy ride'.

Mr Farage tweeted after the programme that it appeared the show 'may well have backfired on Channel 4'

Suzanne Evans, Ukip deputy chairman, said the show 'won't do us any harm' after it aired last night

Comedian Jason Manford said the controversial Channel 4 show was 'a bit too bias and not even hiding it'

Many people were ready to disagree with him before the show had even aired.

By Monday afternoon, 20 people had already complained to Ofcom, amid fears that the drama was too heavily skewed against Ukip.

Mr Farage – who was not allowed to watch the drama before its broadcast – also dismissed the show as liberal 'poppycock'.

However, Mr Mirsky argued that the drama was fair, and that the timing was not an issue.

'We're not in an election window so it is [not a problem],' he said. 'We did take care. A lot of research has gone into this.'

The film shows Ukip winning a slim majority in May's Election, but within three months the country is on the brink of collapse under Mr Farage's leadership

FILMMAKER DUE IN COURT THIS WEEK ACCUSED OF TAX FRAUD A filmmaker credited as the show's director is due in court on Friday as one of 13 people accused of taking part in a £2.5million tax fraud. Chris Atkins, 38, of Hampstead, North London, is charged with one count of conspiring to cheat the revenue over five years to 2012. Prosecutors claim there was a complex scam centred on a now-dissolved film investment firm, Edinburgh and Walsh LLP, which conspired to submit false tax returns so it could claim tax relief on the firm's losses. No pleas have been entered, but last year Atkins' lawyer Phil Smith told Bloomberg his client 'vehemently denies any wrongdoing' and 'looks forward to the opportunity to clear his name in court.' After Friday's brief hearing, a six-week trial is due to begin in October. Atkins is an established filmmaker who has made documentaries criticising tabloid journalism and celebrity culture. He was nominated for a Bafta in 2007 for Taking Liberties, which examined the erosion of civil liberties under Tony Blair's government. The credit under his name for directing the Ukip drama was listed by Channel 4 and on his agent's website. The case was previously reported by The Times. Atkins could not be reached for comment today. Channel 4 said it could not comment on ongoing court proceedings. Advertisement

But Mr Mirsky admitted the film did not have to be 'politically balanced' because was being shown outside of the official General Election campaign period, which starts on March 30.

He said: 'Our job is to reflect and explore contemporary British life. Nothing represents what's different and unique in British political life now more than the rise of Ukip.

'This might be what you wake up to after May 7.'

The film combined acted scenes with actual news footage and showed race riots breaking out in Britain.

It centred on Deepa Kaur, an Asian MP played by Priyanga Burford, who is embraced by Ukip as the face of its anti-immigration stance.

Kaur is tipped for a Cabinet post but faces furious demonstrations when the largest employer in her constituency is put out of business by Farage's decision to pull Britain out of the EU.

She then decides she has been 'used' by Mr Farage, and condemns forced removal raids as 'aggressive and un-British'.

The provocative scenes played out against the backdrop of smoky pubs because Mr Farage had lifted the smoking ban.

Archive footage was used to portray Mr Farage, his Deputy Prime Minister – former Tory MP Neil Hamilton – and Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom, who was seen repeating his infamous remark about Africa being 'bongo bongo land'.

Border guards were also seen forcibly repatriating illegal immigrants amid race riots, as the UK prepared to pull out of the European Union.

The film showed Ukip winning a slim majority in May's Election, but within three months, society was on the brink of collapse under Mr Farage's Right-wing policies.

Weaved into the plot were references to some of the many racism and sexism scandals which have hit the party in recent years.

Reaction: A few people supported the programme but critics on both sides of the political divide - including an SNP supporter - complained it had maligned everyone from police officers to the people of Israel

ATTACK OVER USE OF ISRAEL FLAG AT FICTIONAL FAR-RIGHT DEMO Anger: The documentary featured a 'far-Right' demonstration in which the only banner was Israel's flag One scene that raised hackles was a far-right protest where the only visible banner was the flag of Israel. Sebastian Payne, digital managing editor of political magazine The Spectator, wrote: 'Did Channel 4 just show the flag of Israel to suggest a group of protesters are from the 'far right'?!' One Twitter user, Nathanever82, wrote: 'You HAD to show an Israel flag in the fascist demonstration. You morons'. The criticism added to complaints that the documentary had used broad sweeping generalisations about the ideas of political left and right. Though one user, Tom Deakin, wrote: 'I've been to EDL counter-protests before and seen EDL supporters flying Israel's flag.' And it was later said the footage was in fact archive material from a real far-right protest in Doncaster last year. Anger: Some Twitter users were unhappy about the Israeli flag being depicted in a 'far-Right' protest Advertisement

Mr Farage was initially invited to discuss the scenario in a Channel 4 interview with Jeremy Paxman, but negotiations broke down.

A Channel 4 spokesman defended the film. He said: 'The rise of Ukip's electoral support and their prominence in opinion polls is the political phenomenon of recent years.

'This is a timely and innovative exploration of the effect their policies might have on Britain.

'As a public service broadcaster, we will comply with Ofcom rules on due impartiality within the programme. The programme is fully compliant with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and our obligations.'

But a Ukip official said: 'The idea that this is what would happen is simply preposterous, but it shows that we have got the liberal establishment quaking.

'Bring it on, we say, because this sort of thing simply serves to boost our ratings. Bring it on, we say, because this sort of thing simply serves to boost our ratings.'

Spoof policy: Preview footage of the Channel 4 programme shows Ukip members celebrating their party's decision to allow UK border control to use force

The film combined acted scenes with actual news footage and showed race riots breaking out in Britain