CHANNEL 4 has scrapped plans to show footage of a nude prank after it caused outrage.

Yesterday the Echo reported how police were called to an art class at the Leigh campus of Southend Adult Community College after students failed to see the funny side of a joke which saw a blind man grope a nude life model.

It has now been revealed the filming was for a new Channel 4 comedy show, produced by Zeitgeist Television, called I’m Spazticus.

Nick Caley, Channel 4 spokesman, said: “I’m Spazticus is a new comedy prank show written by and starring disabled performers, pranking able bodied members of the public.

“During the filming of a prank involving a blind man and an actress playing a life model, who were both in on the joke, some of the art students didn’t see the funny side, so as a gesture of goodwill we won’t be broadcasting the footage.”

The show was first aired as a pilot in 2005 as part of the successful Channel 4 Comedy Lab Series.

Producers of the programme claim it is an attempt to highlight and explore the public’s attitudes towards disabled people, and it won an award at the Superfest International Disability Film Festival.

I’m Spazticus is returning as a five-part series to tie in with coverage of the London Paralympic Games.

Southend Adult Community College praised the news that the undercover footage from Thursday evening will not be shown after vowing to take every possible action to ensure it is not aired, but claim they have not put the shocking event behind them.

The college was duped into agreeing to the filming after being told the project was aimed at challenging people’s attitudes to disability.

Lisa Pearce, spokeswoman for Southend Adult Community College, said: “The college is fully investigating the incident and the circumstances around it.”