Police probe: Racist 'choc ice' comments laughed at by Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand
Racist comments about Ashley Cole that Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand laughed at are being investigated by police.
After Chelsea captain John Terry was found not guilty of verbally abusing Anton Ferdinand – the brother of the former Reds captain – Cole was referred to as a ‘choc ice’ on Twitter.
A man believed to be from Derbyshire is being investigated by officers after numerous complaints from the public.
Ferdinand replied to the Tweet: "I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahaha!"
Terry was cleared of a racially aggravated public order offence at Westminster Magistrates' Court last week after allegedly calling Anton a ‘f****** black c***’ during a match against QPR last October.
Cole supported Terry in the trial and told the court he was not a racist.
The ‘choc ice’ remark supposedly refers to a person being ‘black on the outside, white on the inside’.
A spokesman for Derbyshire Constabulary said: "We have received complaints from members of the public regarding alleged racist comments made on a social networking site.
"These concerns will be fully investigated to establish whether any criminal offences have been committed."
In a statement issued through Cole’s lawyers, he said: "Ashley Cole has been made aware of the discussion following comments appearing on Twitter and wishes to make it clear that he and Rio Ferdinand are good friends and Ashley has no intention of making any sort of complaint.
"Ashley appreciates that Tweeting is so quick it often results in off-hand and stray comments."
Ferdinand later tweeted: "What I said yesterday is not a racist term. It's a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake. So there."
Greater Manchester Police said Ferdinand’s comments were not being investigated.
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What does 'choc ice'
What does 'choc ice' mean?
John Amaechi Former NBA basketball player, psychologist and educator
"It is the idea that a black person is black only in skin colour but inside they are really white. It's a highly derogatory term. It's a dangerous term because it allows black boys especially but black people in general, to believe that there is a way of being black that is somehow distinct from being white. There are people that think if you don't wear a certain type of clothing or listen to a certain type of music you're not really black. It's a really dangerous thing. There are black boys who do less well in school because they believe by doing well there, they are acting white. To me, this is devastating for black boys and black people everywhere. It's a deeply offensive term with racial connotations.
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