TalkSport’s Alan Brazil blames Asians for Glasgow rat infestation

Alan Brazil breached broadcasting rules for suggesting that a Glasgow rat infestation was the fault of Asian immigrants storing rice.

By Craig Simpson Monday, 25th March 2019, 2:56 pm Updated Monday, 25th March 2019, 3:03 pm

TalkSport presenter Alan Brazil

The TalkSport presenter and former footballer made the comments on Alan Brazil’s Sports Breakfast during a conversation with fellow host Mike Graham.

Brazil said in Glasgow “things have changed” and there are now newly arrived people “from Asia” in the city.

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The former Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Scotland international forward related information from an acquaintance, saying these new arrivals were to blame for a rat problem.

Brazil has been found in breach of Ofcom rules regarding the broadcast of offensive material.

He said on his morning show: “Talking about that, I don’t know if I should say this. I was talking to someone the other day and he came down from a part of Glasgow, in fact where my school was.

“And things have changed. Parts of cities have changed. Because different people move in. And there’s a lot of people there let’s say from Asia – you know from that part of the world.

“But they don’t, with rice and stuff, they don’t, they don’t store it properly. And he was saying, he’s social housing this guy, and he said you can’t believe the rat infestation we’ve got there.

“What do you mean – how? And he was telling me people just a little bit ignorant when they come in, it’s a little bit damp and stuff like that, and where they store the food and stuff, he said it’s horrendous at the moment.”

Ofcom has decided that despite a tradition of shock-jocks, the right to free speech and Brazil relaying information from a third-party “someone”, the material should not have been broadcast.

The watchdog found the broadcast breached rules requiring material to be justified by its context and audience expectations.

TalkSport told Ofcom “there was absolutely no intent to cause any offence”.