Benefits Street charity offers 'kit' against producers

Benefits Street was filmed on James Turner Street in Birmingham

Despite being a ratings winner for Channel 4, Benefits Street came with its fair share of complaints.

Some residents of James Turner Street in Birmingham complained that they had been misled before appearing on the programme.

Producers of the reality television show have denied that.

Now, one charity which accused the makers of misrepresenting residents has offered a solution: a self-defence kit against unwanted advances.

Benefits Street made a celebrity of Deirdre "White Dee" Kelly

Oasis, a community and education charity, runs the primary school in Birmingham where Benefits Street was filmed.

Reverend Steve Chalke, who founded Oasis, said that other communities have approached them asking for advice on what to do if they get attention from reality TV producers.

He said: "We can't proactively defend every community in the country.

"However, we believe that the new self-defence kit will give people the chance to benefit from what we've learnt."

The kit, which is on its website, contains advice on how to discourage television producers.

It also has what it calls a "decoder" to translate what a producer might really mean if they describe the programme they want to make.

Despite more than 900 complaints, watchdog Ofcom ruled that Channel 4 did not breach the broadcasting code.

A second series is thought to be under way in Teesside.

A Channel 4 spokesperson said: "We are always transparent and clear with residents in the extensive briefings that are given pre-filming and operate highly robust duty of care protocols for contributors which were praised by the regulator Ofcom as 'demonstrating best practice'.

"Filming of the second series recently began in Stockton-On-Tees, many months after transmission of the first and the subsequent media reaction, so residents were already familiar with the nature and profile of the programme.

"The majority of them have been happy to co-operate and support filming, even in the face of external pressure put on them by vested interests outside of the street."

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