Grassington branded as "bigoted" by TV reality show

Grassington has been labelled as 'bigoted' by viewers of the TV show

A reality television show, set in the Yorkshire Dales, has prompted one viewer to vow never to visit the area.

"Love Thy Neighbour", set in Grassington, features several couples competing to win a luxury cottage.

Kylie Brown from Hitchen says she is appalled by what she claims are the "racist" and "homophobic" views of villagers.

Broadcasting regulator, OFCOM has confirmed they've received a number of complaints about the programme.

In each episode two families move into the village. They have only a week to throw themselves into the local community convincing locals to vote them into the semi-finals.

At the end of the series it will again be the turn of the residents of Grassington to decide which of the families they would like to move to the village permanently and win a £300,000 home.

Protests

The villagers who took part in the programme, which is being shown on Channel 4, initially agreed to participate in the hope the series would attract visitors to the area.

Instead it is has caused a storm of protest.

We've already voted in a black couple and a lesbian couple. They are delightful people who were judged just for who they are Diane Lowe, Grassington Resident

Kylie Brown from Hitchen in Hertfordshire told the BBC she was outraged by the attitudes shown by Grassington residents.

"Of course you can edit a TV programme but at the end of the day they still said what they said."

She added that she'd been "disgusted" by the "racial" comments made by some of the villagers featured in the programme.

There have also been hundreds of comments, mainly about the attitudes of villagers, posted on social-networking sites.

One poster on the Digital Spy website said: "I am totally gobsmacked by the attitudes and totally out of date thinking, it is a sad sad advert for Yorkshire."

Another was also outraged by the attitudes shown in the television show: "Personally I would hate to live with these horrible, narrow-minded villagers."

"Delightful people"

Residents hoped the programme would attract vital tourists to the area

Diane Lowe runs a Bed & Breakfast in Grassington, she was one of the villagers who participated in the programme.

She said: "I honestly think Channel 4 had a script and they chose a village to fit that script.

"Surely we are disproving the fact that we are all bigoted, racist and homophobic. We've already voted in a black couple and a lesbian couple and they are delightful people who were judged just for who they are."

Another Grassington resident, Stuart, told BBC Radio York the programme and comments by villagers were being taken out of context.

He said: "The editing has been quite sneaky. Those who didn't want to get involved are saying 'told you so'.

"It has upset a few people and many of us are apprehensive before each episode."

Channel 4 has also defended the village.

In a statement a spokesperson said: "The residents of Grassington time and again have demonstrated their willingness to embrace families from different walks of life and welcome them to the village.

"The vast majority of those taking part found it to be a hugely positive experience."