By David Kent

PUBLISHED: 03:28 EST, 25 September 2013 | UPDATED: 03:52 EST, 25 September 2013

Furious Arsenal banned the BBC from using a club shirt after a new drama portrayed Gooners fans as halfwits and criminals.

The Premier League club failed to see the funny side when they became the butt of the opening scenes of police drama By Any Means.

Gullible: The Arsenal-supporting suspect is lured with offer of exclsuive stadium tour

Gullible: The Arsenal-supporting suspect is lured with offer of exclsuive stadium tour

In the opening episode, cops trick an idiotic Arsenal fan who has skipped bail on robbery charges.

They lure the gullible suspect by promising him a tour of Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and a chance to meet the players.

He arrives at an office covered in stickers saying "Arsenal" and "Emirates". He meets two undercover detectives, who are decked head-to-toe in the north London club's famous red-and-white colours, like the suspect.

But when he boards a bus for his dream trip, he is arrested by Jack Quinn (Warren Brown) and told: ' You are under arrest for being an Arsenal fan... anything you do say will be ignored.'

Offside: BBC were banned from using official club shirts

Offside: BBC were banned from using official club shirts

Caught: The suspect is arrested as he boards the tour bus

Caught: The suspect is arrested as he boards the tour bus

When Quinn is asked if the scam was ethical, he says the victims are not just crooks and adds: 'It's worse than that, they're Gooners.'

Arsenal got wind of the storyline and banned the producers from using real kit and actors were forced to wear red and white shirts without any identifying logos.

A BBC spokesman told the Sun: 'Arsenal declined permission to use their branded shirts... so production decided, on advice to use shirts in a similar style instead.'




The comments below have not been moderated.

WIll gladly hold comment on any OTHER Arsenal supporter if you lot will kindly take that twit Piers Morgan back to Blightty where he came from...

So it was a documentary then?

Should have been Spuds shirts, that would fit the bill. Ha Ha Haaa !!!!

Calling Arsenal fans halfwits is too kind.

Calling you human is too much.

Are you sure this isn't a documentary rather than a drama?! Do Arsenal actually KNOW their fans?! COYS

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Whats new? Al you have to do is visit the ........ Emirates!

The same way I would explain the eight years of under achievement at the ars. Talking of high cost, how you getting on paying the highest ticket prices in the land, and for what ? ...... your 'fourth' place trophy and a half empty stadium ?

Were did we finish... above you!

ok, just never seen it referred to as the BPL before. No need for your pithy response, just a reasonable explanation to a reasonable question.

Harsh.

I'm sure I saw that halfwit with the Pom Pom hat on Sunday at the theatre of wannabe good. Mind you, the majority were half wits. I saw them greeting each other " I say, Algernon, give me a high six"

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