The Peniel Church has again been locking horns with David Soul in a row over the BBC's screening of contro- versial musical Jerry Springer: The Opera.

Mr Soul, now starring in the West End musical version of Starsky and Hutch, visited Brentwood in 2001 to campaign alongside independent candidate Martin Bell in the General Election.

At the time, Mr Bell stated that one of his reasons for standing was the alleged infiltration of the local Conservative Party by members of the Pilgrims Hatch-based church.

This week, it was Mr Soul's show which was under fire, with Peniel members among the protesters who burned their TV licences outside Television Centre, in London.

However, as the row continued on Monday, Bishop Michael Reid from the Peniel distanced himself from extremists who had allegedly made death threats to BBC executives.

Bishop Reid, who delivered a petition to BBC chairman Michael Grade, said: "We are Christians. We are not extreme. We do not make threats. Our case for calling on the BBC to postpone the blatantly blasphemous programme is an excellent one and we don't want it hijacked by extremists.

"If relentless swearing and showing Jesus as a sexual deviant is allowed, what next?"

Director general Mark Thompson said: "I am a practising Christian, but there is nothing in this which I believe to be blasphemous."

Mr Soul said: "There are hundreds of thousands of people who won't have had a chance to see this in the West End. This show would never have got to where it is if it was simply about blasphemy."

Published Monday January 17, 2005

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