Katie Hopkins reported to police by Rochdale MP for 'inciting racial hatred'

Katie Hopkins has been reported to police by Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk for allegedly inciting racial hatred.

The controversial TV star and newspaper columnist has been accused by Labour MP Simon Danczuk of sending tweets suggesting Pakistani men in the Lancashire town were child abusers.

In 2012, nine men from Rochdale who ran a child exploitation ring - eight of whom were of Pakistani origin - were jailed for offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Mr Danczuk, who represents Rochdale, has sent an email to the police commissioner of Greater Manchester Police, Tony Lloyd, asking him to investigate whether a crime had been committed by Hopkins.

Hopkins is said to have started sending the tweets after Mr Danczuk attended the raising of a Pakistani flag over the town hall for half an hour on 23 March to mark National Pakistan Day.

She wrote: "Raising a Pakistani flag in Rochdale is not helping community cohesion. it is inflammatory. @SimonDanczuk you & your party disgust me."

Hopkins posted a series of messages to her account after the MP tweeted a picture of himself at the event.

In response, she sent a picture of eight men convicted of child exploitation offences, asking Mr Danczuk: "Are these your friends too @SimonDanczuk? Is this why you are raising the Pakistani flag in Rochdale? 77 years inside."

Explaining his decision to make the complaint, the MP said it was about Hopkins "inciting racial hatred".

He said: "The letter is me asking the police commissioner to investigate whether a crime has been committed in relation to Katie Hopkins.

"It is not right that somebody who has little to do with Rochdale incited hatred of this kind.

"Rochdale is a very cohesive community - people work well together. Of course there are tensions, like there are in other communities, but people rub together really well and we don't need outsiders like Katie Hopkins to come in and cause trouble just for the sake of causing trouble and creating Sun headlines."

Hopkins is yet to comment on the allegations.

Text copyright: Sky News