OUTSPOKEN radio DJ James Stannage has been quizzed by police over allegations he made a racist remark on his show.

He thought he was off-air when, it is claimed, he made an offensive comment about a woman caller.

One outraged listener drove to Bootle Street police station in the early hours of the morning to make a complaint.

Officers interviewed Mr Stannage, 51, and Key103 programme director Andrew Robson.

The veteran DJ was warned about his behaviour.

It is understood he accepted he had slipped up during the late-night show.

Action call

But the man who complained, taxi driver Mohammed Alam, 33, today said tougher action should have been taken.

He called for Mr Stannage to apologise and be taken off air. ‘‘I just think they are brushing it under the carpet,’’ he said.

‘‘They had been having a discussion about religion and Stannage and a caller called Sarah were shouting at each other. At the end of the call he made a racist comment.

‘‘He said it in a very nasty way and I was shocked.’’

Mr Alam added: ‘‘The police said there had been 50,000 people listening to the show but they had only one complaint.

‘‘I am not happy with the way the police have dealt with this. I am going to write to the Chief Constable.’’

Investigation

A spokesman for Key 103 said: ‘‘James Stannage and Andrew Robson, Key 103 programme director, have been interviewed by police concerning an allegation. They both fully explained the circumstances surrounding this allegation.

‘‘James Stannage is in no way a racist. Listeners to his show understand that he always strives for balance on these issues.’’

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: ‘‘We have investigated a complaint about a remark allegedly made on a local radio show. The person concerned was visited by police, spoken to and advised.’’

Mr Stannage, a former teacher, has regularly courted controversy during his 20-year radio career.

Two years ago he was criticised after describing World War One soldiers as ‘‘thick and ignorant’’ during his show on Piccadilly Magic 1152.

In 1997 Piccadilly Radio was fined £10,000 by the Radio Authority when he said five teenage car thieves who died in a crash ‘‘had got what they deserved’’. He was taken off air for 24 hours and later apologised.

A year earlier, Piccadilly Gold was fined £1,000 after broadcasting sexually offensive remarks about Roman Catholics and the Pope during Stannage’s show.

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