Outcry at Brand's 'joke' call to police hunting sex fiend

The comedian, 33, rang the emergency line as part of his stand-up routine on Saturday evening.

He pretended that he had seen a suspicious-looking man wearing 'polka dot trousers and a pink DayGlo cap' lurking in an underpass in Northampton. 

Apology: Russell Brand rang the police incident room

There have been three sexual assaults in underpasses there in recent weeks. Police are hunting a man who has been dubbed the Underpass Attacker. 

Attacker: Artist's impression

During Brand's routine in Northampton, he borrowed a mobile phone from a member of the audience and was put through to the police incident room.

Controversial: Russell Brand was called 'callous' after joking about sex attacks

'I have got some information for you. I've seen a gentleman who fits the description.

'He was wearing a lime green top and polka- dot trousers, and I thought, "Well, look at the state of him".'

The audience laughed as Brand went on: 'I've had someone come near my underpass.

'He was dressed absolutely atrociously, he looked like Timmy Mallett.'

He told the operator the sound of laughter was coming from an episode of The Bill on television, and that his name was Sarah. 

But Brand's antics were bitterly criticised. Lynda Yorke, of Leicester Rape Crisis, said: 'I don't think that's particularly amusing. It's in very poor taste.

The issue of sexual assault is often belittled and such callous behaviour is extremely hurtful to the victims.'

The first underpass attack took place at 7.30am on 23 June.

A 24-year-old mother was pushing a buggy when a man grabbed her and pulled at her clothes.

On the evening of July 3, another woman, 28, was forced into an alcove in the underpass and pinned up against the wall, where her attacker tried to kiss her. She managed to escape.

Police are keeping an open mind as to whether this attack is linked with another on a woman of 50 at the same spot 12 days later.

Yesterday, Brand apologised. He said: 'I appreciate the seriousness of the issue and am devastated by the possibility that I may have offended vulnerable people.

'I maintain that through discourse we can illuminate these dark behaviours but that ought not to be at the expense of people's feelings.'

A Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: 'We would discourage anyone from making calls such as this.'