Buckfast threatens to sue BBC

Buckfast’s lawyers have threatened to sue the BBC for damages if the corporation fails to apologise for accusing the wine of causing “more deaths than heroin”.

 As reported by the Daily Record, the incident took place on a BBC Radio 4 programme called Simon Evans Goes To Market, described by the BBC as a “comedy on the economics of alcohol”.

During the show, comedian Simon Evans said the tonic wine caused more deaths than heroin, was made from wine slops from across Europe and is a major cause of violent crime in Scotland.

“These monks buy the cheapest red wine available from the continent’s industrial drip trays and beef it up with highly caffeinated cough syrup,” Evans said on air.

Following the show last week, lawyers for Buckfast’s distribution company, J Chandler & Co, wrote to the BBC in search of a retraction.

“We realise it’s a comedy but you still have to get your facts right. If you’re going to make such a statement – particularly the drugs comment – you need to have facts to support that,” Stuart Wilson, sales manager for J Chandler & Co, told the Daily Record.

“The comment about European drip trays wasn’t amusing either. We pride ourselves on ensuring our product is of the highest standard. Any decision to seek damages will be taken by our legal team,” he added.

“As and when we receive the letter, we will respond to them in due course,” a spokesperson for the BBC said.