THIS reader didn't hold back with his views on Jimmy Carr's latest Netflix special, His Dark Materials - what did you think about the comments?

THE Roma people first came to Europe about a thousand years ago from the Punjabi region of India.

Because they came in small groups, they were always outsiders in different places they went to and have sadly been scapegoated and marginalised by ignorant bullies for hundreds of years.

The worst example of this was, of course, the Holocaust – or “porajmos”, as some Roma call it.

In his recent Netflix special, comedian Jimmy Carr, of course, like all bullies, simply thought that he could pick on the Roma and get away with it. Thankfully that calculation has been proved wrong.

Here in the North East, I think we should also remember that there were Roma imprisoned at Belsen-Bergen Camp and that North East-based soldiers from the 113th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, The Royal Artillery (formerly 5th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry) were heavily involved in the relief of Belsen, helping survivors in desperate conditions.

We should perhaps stop seeing Carr’s comments as comedy. Let the scales fall from our eyes and see them for what they are: bigoted, mean-spirited, ignorant and very immature remarks, which can sadly spread hatred.

Carr’s comments were an insult to the memory of all those Roma who were callously and brutally murdered in the Holocaust, and they were an insult to the memory of the brave soldiers of the DLI who helped in the relief of Belsen.

Peter Sagar, Heaton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054