The Essex force is looking “to establish if there are any criminal offences” after the prime minister says he hated repeating a bigoted insult targeted at him, but argued as a father of two daughters it was important to challenge “corrosive and divisive behaviour”.
Police are “urgently assessing” racist and homophobic comments made by Reform UK activists as Rishi Sunak spoke of his hurt and anger at a personal slur.
The Essex force said it was looking “to establish if there are any criminal offences”.
It came after the prime minister said he hated repeating the bigoted insult directed at him by a supporter of Nigel Farage’s party, but said as a father of two daughters it was important to challenge “corrosive and divisive behaviour”.
Reform campaigners had been recorded by an undercover Channel 4 reporter making racist comments, including about the Tory leader who is of Indian descent.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We are aware of comments made during a Channel 4 News programme and we are urgently assessing them to establish if there are any criminal offences.”
Mr Sunak said: “My two daughters have to see and hear Reform people who campaign for Nigel Farage calling me an effing ‘P***’.
“It hurts and it makes me angry and I think he has some questions to answer.
“And I don’t repeat those words lightly.
“I do so deliberately because this is too important not to call out clearly for what it is.”
Speaking on an election campaign visit to a school in Teesside, he added: “As prime minister, but more importantly as a father of two young girls, it’s my duty to call out this corrosive and divisive behaviour.”
Mr Sunak said he repeated the racial insult because it was important to challenge it.
He went on: “I hate having to do it, I chose my words deliberately, I hate having to repeat them, absolutely hate it.
“But I also think it’s important to call this out for what it is and be clear about what it is.”
The footage taken in Clacton where Mr Farage is a candidate, showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker making the discriminatory remark about Mr Sunak and suggesting migrants should be used as “target practice”.
He also described Islam as a “disgusting cult”.