MP will not face charges for racist joke

The Convservative MP Ann Winterton will not face criminal charges for telling a racist joke at a rugby club dinner.

Mrs Winterton, 61, was sacked as the Tory agriculture spokeswoman after saying Asians in Britain were "10 a penny". Because of her comments, the MP for Congleton was investigated by police over a possible charge of inciting racial hatred.

But a spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said yesterday: "We have investigated the allegation and interviewed various people. No charges have been brought and no further action will follow."

Mrs Winterton, who is married to Nicholas Winterton, MP for nearby Macclesfield, made the joke at Congleton Rugby Club at the beginning of May. She later apologised and expressed her "sadness and regret" after she had been dismissed by the Conservative leader, Iain Duncan Smith.