Lord Sugar faced police racism probe after joking on Twitter that crying Chinese boy was upset 'because he was told off for leaving the production line of the iPhone 5'

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Apprentice star's tweet offended Nichola Szeto, who spoke to police
The post showed an image of a crying Chinese child wearing a watermelon
He joked that the child was told off for leaving an iPhone 5 production line
Police investigated but took no further action

By Simon Boyle, Showbusiness Editor

Published: 16:38 EST, 5 October 2013 | Updated: 03:51 EST, 6 October 2013

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Lord Sugar has been investigated by police after being accused of posting a racist Twitter message, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The outspoken entrepreneur and Apprentice star posted a photograph of a crying Chinese child to 3.2 million Twitter followers, joking that the youngster was upset after being told off for leaving Apple’s iPhone production line – a reference to the Asian factories where the phones are made.

The tweet prompted a single complaint to the Metropolitan Police from a Twitter user, who referred to the Labour peer as a ‘vile racist’.

Investigated: Lord Sugar was investigated by police after a woman objected to a picture he posted on Twitter

Row: Lord Sugar, left, offended Nichola Szeto, right, with a tweet

Police contacted the complainant twice, urging her to make a statement at a police station, which she eventually did, and yesterday police confirmed that officers from Merseyside’s Hate Crime Investigation Unit took several days to decide whether a crime had been committed by the Labour peer’s tweet.

However, the remark was in the end classed as a ‘hate incident’ – which means no further action will be taken, although details will be kept on file.

Last night, the TaxPayers’ Alliance condemned the police investigation, insisting officers should not waste time chasing ‘ill-thought-out tweets’.

Circulating the light-hearted pictures of a child dressed in a water melon costume on Monday, Lord Sugar wrote: ‘The kid in the middle is upset because he was told off for leaving the production line of the iPhone 5.’

'Production line': Nichola Szeto took offence at Lord Sugar posting the tweet below

Liverpool shop owner Nichola Szeto, whose husband and family are Chinese, complained to the Metropolitan Police Twitter account, saying: ‘I thought racism was illegal.’

She was contacted by police on Wednesday but declined to give a statement.

At 8am the next day, she was again contacted by officers who said they wanted to visit her home.

Instead, she agreed to attend a police station in Central Liverpool later that day, where she spent an hour giving a statement to two officers.

Reaction: Ms Szeto complained that Lord Sugar's tweet was racist

Ms Szeto, who runs a health supplements business with her husband, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I told the police I just wanted to let him know it was wrong.

'They said they take this very seriously, but I said, “Just leave it, I’ve complained now.” But they phoned back so I went to see them.’

Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: ‘Individuals must be held to account for their actions, even on social media, but officers should not waste their time chasing every ill-thought-out tweet.'

Last night a spokesman for Lord Sugar declined to comment.