British broadcaster Channel 4 was cleared today of misleading viewers or presenting material likely to incite racial hatred following a recent undercover documentary on Britain's mosques.
West Midlands Police had originally investigated comments made by preachers on Channel 4's Dispatches programme Undercover Mosque but later turned the focus on the documentary makers themselves.
The police said the programme had been heavily edited but after investigating the case, media regulator Ofcom said Channel 4 had dealt with the subject matter responsibly and should continue to tackle controversial subjects.
The programme featured undercover recordings from speakers which the channel described as homophobic, anti-Semitic, sexist and condemnatory of non-Muslims.
Ofcom's ruling said: "Undercover Mosque was a legitimate investigation, uncovering matters of important public interest."
The police referred the case to the regulator which also received 364 complaints which it said appeared to be part of a campaign against the programme.
Police had found there was insufficient evidence to charge the speakers in the documentary, despite finding some of the comments might be considered "offensive".
Channel 4, in its response to the Ofcom investigation, said the police had shown "staggering naivety" in their understanding of television production.
It said the police investigation "gave legitimacy to people preaching a message of hate" and said it was perverse that Channel 4 had found itself under investigation.
West Midlands Police said it acknowledged the findings from Ofcom and said it was usual practice to refer cases to regulatory bodies.