Radio star fired for racist taxi call

LONDON, Nov. 12 (UPI) -- BBC Radio personality Sam Mason has been fired from her job after she called for a taxi and requested a non-Asian driver, sparking complaints she is racist.

The Daily Mail said Mason made the call on the behalf of her 14-year-old daughter while she was off the air. The Telegraph said the taxi firm routinely records messages in case of questions or complaints and that the company gave a transcript of the conversation between Mason and the operator to The Sun newspaper, which then contacted the BBC.

The Mail said the operator handling the call told Mason her request for an English driver was racist but Mason insisted: "A guy with a turban is going to freak (my daughter) out. She's not used to Asians."

When the operator denied the request, Mason reportedly said, "You've managed it before."

However, the dispatcher then refused to send a car, noting: "We would class that as being racist. We can't just penalize the Asian drivers and just send an English one," then hung up the phone.

The Mail said Mason defended her remarks by stating, "If it were me I wouldn't care if it had two heads but it's my little girl we are talking about."

A statement issued by the BBC to the Telegraph said: "Although Sam Mason's remarks were not made on-air, her comments were completely unacceptable and, for that reason, she has been informed that she will no longer be working for the BBC with immediate effect."