A film lecturer at the University of Edinburgh has been cleared by police after he was accused of committing a hate crime by quoting an anti-English speech from hit film Trainspotting.
James Mooney was reported to police over a post he wrote on his Instagram page after showing the 1996 movie to a visiting group of American students.
He wrote: 'Spent this morning telling a group of visiting American students that we don't really hate the English, but that they are w***ers. Welcome to Scotland.'
Police confirmed officers were called in to investigate Mr Mooney's Instagram post after a complaint but concluded that no crime had been committed.
Mr Mooney is understood to have written the post while showing the 1996 film, starring Ewan McGregor, to a visiting delegation from the US.
The post relates to a scene in which McGregor's character, Mark Renton, bemoans Scotland's misfortune at being 'colonised by the English'.
One university source said: 'It was clearly meant in jest and no offence was intended or could reasonably have been taken.
'It is all totally ridiculous, a storm in a teacup if ever there was one.'
The post was later edited and privacy settings on the account updated, it is understood.
Mr Mooney lectures in film and philosophy at Edinburgh University - while regularly guest lecturing at Sweden's Jönköping University and Arcadia University in the US.
MailOnline
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