You thought 'Benefits Street' was controversial: Follow-up documentary 'Immigrant Street' has got locals worried

Until recently, Mushdaq Hussain flew a giant St George's flag from his terraced house. He wasn't only supporting England in the World Cup; he was making a "positive" statement about his adopted country, a country his father fought for more than half a century ago.

So when the makers of a new documentary series with the working title "Immigration Street", which is following the community of Derby Road in Southampton, knocked on his door for his views on his multicultural neighbourhood, they were surprised to be given short shrift.

"Producers from 'Immigrant Street' have been knocking on my door, trying to get me to appear, but I'm not interested," said the 46-year-old, speaking outside his home yesterday. "They obviously thought I'd have negative things to say [because of the flag], but the only story here on Derby Road [about immigration] is a positive [one]. I'm not sure they were interested in that." His views seem to be typical on the street, where residents of all faiths and ethnicities talk of "pressure" to appear on camera and their fears that the Channel 4 show could bring extremists to the area.

To be broadcast just before the next general election, the series is the follow-up to the highly controversial Benefits Street, which led to 900 Ofcom complaints and questions in the Houses of Parliament earlier this year over allegations that it vilified those on the breadline.

Derby Road is admittedly a little shabby and locals talk about the lack of jobs, but the city's Newtown area, once known by sailors the world over as a place of drugs and prostitution, has improved drastically in the past 20 years or so.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/you-thought-benefits-street-was-controversial-followup-documentary-immigrant-street-has-got-locals-worried-9602434.html

Yeah, I said I was going to bed, but this caught my interest.

Who exactly is Channel 4 carrying the political water for?

Ben_Reilly wrote:Yeah, I said I was going to bed, but this caught my interest.

Who exactly is Channel 4 carrying the political water for?

Your guess is as good as mine, to me they are playing up to the fear factor.