Media blamed in racist joke row

Bernard Flouquet has apologised for the comment he made

A former Guernsey deputy is blaming the media for causing children to make racist jokes - and not under-fire Deputy Chief Minister Bernard Flouquet.

Deputy Jenny Tasker said pupils in Guernsey schools had been reprimanded for repeating comments in the vein of a racist joke told by Mr Flouquet.

However, former deputy Roy Bisson said it was the media who were at fault for "ramping up" the matter.

Mr Floquet made a derogatory comment about US President-elect Barack Obama.

'No case to answer'

The deputy chief minister has since apologised to the States and the people of Guernsey, but has rejected calls to stand down.

Ms Tasker, who is calling for a vote of no confidence in Mr Flouquet, said some pupils had been reprimanded for "taking an example" from what he had said.

But former deputy Mr Bisson, a friend of Mr Flouquet, said: "I am quite clear that the whole thing has been ramped up by media coverage.

"It is a foolish thing to say what he did say but I think that now it's been put in the hands of the Code of Conduct Inquiry Panel, they will make their deliberation and come out.

"I hope they'll find that he has no case to answer."