Victory for 'people power' after TV bosses axe controversial series Immigration Street set in Derby Road

Those are the words of campaigners against the controversial documentary after TV bosses axed plans for a series.

Channel 4 announced yesterday that Love Productions-filmed documentary Immigration Street, focussing on life in the Derby Road area of Southampton, will air on February 24 – but only as a one-hour episode.

As previously reported, the documentary was initially proposed as a six-part series focusing on ethnicities and cultures of people living on the street.

It was to be a follow-up to its previous production Benefits Street that prompted more than 900 complaints about the way it portrayed residents living in James Turner Street in Birmingham.

Ever since plans were unveiled and filming began in the city, frustrated and angry residents have been campaigning to stop the programme.

They feel the title is offensive and does not accurately reflect the people living in the close-knit community – many of whom are second or third generation Brits.

As tensions escalated there were protests both in Southampton and outside Channel 4’s London headquarters in a bid to make TV bosses climb down.

Now it has emerged the show will be aired as a single episode – with producers blaming threats of violence from groups in Southampton as the reason why.

Those claims included programme boss Kieran Smith claiming earlier this week that his TV crew had been threatened with having acid thrown at them while one willing participant in the programme had been left hospitalised.

Hampshire police are investigating the latter claim but say Channel 4 has refused to provide statements to enable an enquiry to proceed following the acid claims.

Cllr Satvir Kaur (above) , Cabinet member for communities at Southampton City Council, has welcomed the decision to cut the series.

She said: “I think it’s a small victory on behalf of the community, especially when they started out to do a six-part series.

“It really shows that there’s a community coming together and saying no, turning to media giants and saying enough is enough, we don’t want to be part of it.

“I spoke to Channel 4 and they said ‘don’t worry, it’s going to show happy families and communities working together’. I truly hope that it does – however we still haven’t seen the final edit.”

Kate Maple, who protested in Southampton, added: “The diversity of Southampton is to be celebrated.

“I am really proud that people stood up and said this is not a good thing to do. Maybe it will influence the way the production company works in the future.”

David Vane, secretary of the Southampton Council of Faiths, said the decision was an example of people power.

He said: “I think the general feeling is that the less exposure there is, the better.

“We are a peaceful city and judging by what happened in the other programme, and the fall out after, a one-off is pretty good.”

Executive producer Kieran Smith said: “Many people on Derby Road made the crew feel welcome and wanted to share their stories but there were local groups who, for their own reasons, were determined to halt production.

“It’s a great shame as the footage we have shot shows Derby Road is a place where, on the whole, people of different nationalities, cultures and religions respect and get along with each other. This will be reflected in the film.”