Bangor farmer Alan Graham not for turning on Rihanna

Rihanna was asked to cover up as she was being filmed in a County Down field on Monday

The Bangor farmer who asked pop star Rihanna to cover up has said he has no regrets about his stance on the matter.

DUP councillor Alan Graham was at the centre of a worldwide media storm after he called for filming of the Barbadian's video in his field to stop.

Mr Graham was fetching his tractor when he saw Rihanna and thought her topless appearance was "inappropriate".

He said on Friday he did not "believe young ladies should have to take their clothes off to entertain".

"I am entitled to hold that opinion," Mr Graham said.

"I would have more respect and more care for that young lady than lots of the people running about who want to see her taking her clothes off.

"I wish her no ill."

Mr Graham told the Nolan Show on BBC Radio Ulster it was "sad that in the modern entertainment world pretty young women have to take their clothes off to entertain what I would describe as frustrated billy goats".

'Gracious and respectful'

He said he had made no objection to the filming of Rihanna when she was wearing beachwear.

"I didn't stop the video because of that," he said.

"It was when the filming went into another field and I coincidentally happened to be there.

"I have a tractor over the field, my tractor was there to pull some of their equipment out of the mud.

"Some people think I just drove over there conveniently in my tractor, I was helping them with my tractor.

"I was heading home, but before I got home I realised 'hold on this is getting to a stage I am uncomfortable with and I can't allow this to go on'."

The farmer said Rihanna had been "very gracious and respectful" when they spoke and that they had "parted company on good terms".

He said he had not received any money at this stage for the filming and was not "particularly fazed" about the media frenzy which had followed Monday's events.

"I have had to carry on with my day-to-day work, get my barley cut and tend to other business, but it is quite interesting," he added.