EXCLUSIVE: New ITV comedy Piglets branded ‘disgusting’ by furious police officers as show pokes fun at cops

The Police Federation have spoken out and released a statement about the new comedy as they labelled it “disgusting

New ITV comedy Piglets branded ‘disgusting’ by furious police officers as show pokes fun at cops

Police officers have branded an upcoming ITV comedy which pokes fun at them as “disgusting” and “dangerous”.

Piglets is set in a fictional police training college and follows newly recruited officers. It will star Bancroft actress Sarah Parish and Brass Eye’s Mark Heap.

The Police Federation has spoken out in anger, calling the show, which airs later this month, as “insulting” and “inflammatory”. They fear it could lead to an increase in abuse of police officers and trainees.

Tiffany Lynch, Acting National Chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said: “The new ITV show titled ‘Piglets’ is highly offensive to police officers risking their lives to protect the public every day providing an emergency service.

“It is a disgusting choice of language to use for the title of a TV programme. I find it incredulous that this has passed through checks and balances at an organisation made up of people who at any time have or may need the support and assistance of the police.

“Our colleagues are working hard and keeping people safe under relentless negative pressure at the moment, insulting our new in service officers is unhelpful. The name of this show is also inflammatory against a landscape of rising threats and violence against officers. We should not be put at further risk for viewing numbers, our officers deserve respect not humiliation for the job they are undertaking.

“It is actually incredibly dangerous to incite more negativity and misinformation against a public sector service that’s already under so much pressure.”

The term pig is a slang word for police officers, one that is considered derogatory and disrespectful. The Police Federation say it will be complaining to regulatory authority Ofcom about the show – and to ITV too.

Mukund Krishna, CEO of the Police Federation of England and Wales, confirmed: “The programme’s title is an insult to our brave and hard-working members. At a time when the service is fighting to attract and retain officers, ITV’s actions are totally undermining.

“The Federation will be writing to Ofcom and ITV to register its disgust and demanding a change.” Piglets, a new six part comedy, comes from the team behind Smack The Pony and Green Wing.

It follows a newly recruited group of six very different would-be cops and the handful of key staff whose thankless task it is to knock them into some kind of shape.

Heading up the cast are Sarah Parish and Mark Heap as no-nonsense Superintendent Julie Spry and some-nonsense Superintendent Bob Weekes, whose job it is to oversee the training of the next batch of new recruits.

A show spokesman said “Piglets is a fictional new comedy about a police training academy and the title is not intended to cause any offence, it’s a comedic and endearing play on words to emphasise the innocence and youth of our young trainees.”

The series starts Saturday 20th July on ITV1 (full series drop on ITVX at the same time).