A GUARDIAN reporter could face a police probe after he was accused of inciting people to riot on Twitter.

Damien Gayle posted a link to his 3,000 followers for a story about police warning they would face “real challenges” tackling a repeat of the 2011 riots due to budget cuts.

4 Damien posted a link to his 3,000 followers for a story about police warning they would face “real challenges” tackling a repeat of the 2011 riots due to budget cuts and the added "you know what to do" Credit: Twitter / @codabreakups

4 Evosteve1340 tweeted the Met Police to formally report Damien's tweet as a hate crime and incitement to public disorder Credit: Twitter / @evosteve1340

4 El Cid also tweeted to state it was an "incitement to riot" Credit: Twitter / @thereal_elcid

4 Damien's tweet referred to the London riots which happened in 2011 Credit: Getty Images

He then added the comment: “You know what to do.”

But after some of his 3,000 followers urged the Metropolitan Police to investigate him, he admitted it was a "rather stupid thing to tweet".

Before the climbdown Twitter user Evosteve1340 wrote: “Hi @metpoliceuk. I’d like to formally report this tweet as a hate crime & incitement to public disorder.

“Will you investigate @damiengayle?”

Some people urged The Guardian to sack him.

Pablo wrote: “He needs to be sacked.” Coda said: “Don’t you love when ‘tolerant’ #TheGuardian employees such as @damiengayle use their platform/reach to suggest violent/criminal rioting?”

CK0hut added: “Dear @guardian Is @damiengayle still a ‘general news reporter’ for you? If so, why?”

din_stygge_faen said: “I hope the police are looking into this. Looks like incitement to riot to me....”

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ITV news editor Paul Adcock challenged Gayle over his tweet and said: “What’s that? Put our hard working, underpaid, exhausted emergency services in danger again?” Gayle replied: “Or they could just stand back and watch like they did in 2011.”

Gayle later deleted his tweets.

He told the Media Guido blog: “No offence was intended, and I’m sorry to those to whom it’s been caused.”

It followed claims by Dave Thompson, chief constable of West Midlands police, that major incidents had laid bare the strains faced by cash-strapped police forces.

A Guardian News & Media spokesperson said Gayle had been spoken to by senior management and added: “We consider his comments entirely inappropriate.”

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