A BOMB scare at a hotel accommodating refugees is proof that giving a platform to racist and misogynistic comedy is far from harmless, anti-racist campaigners said today.

North Yorkshire Police confirmed that a bomb scare at the Grand Hotel in Scarborough, which houses refugees, turned out to be a hoax on Monday.

Caitlin Webb-Ellis of the Whitby Says No campaign was forced to cancel a peaceful demonstration against a performance by comedian Roy Chubby Brown, who is notorious for “jokes” widely slammed as racist, sexist and homophobic, in the neighbouring town following threats of violence.

And a day before the bomb scare, far-right campaigners posted leaflets with “No Afghan migrants, put British people first” in large red letters through letterboxes.

Residents at the hotel were evacuated after someone phoned at 10.15am, telling a member of staff that a bomb had been planted.

A search was conducted through the building and surrounding area.

An investigation into the call is under way but no arrests have been made.

Whitby Says No campaign said that they believed there was a credible threat of physical violence at the protest following conversations with the police and the monitoring of social media comments.

One of the comments read: “That would be worth seeing. Protesters beaten to death by loyal fans.”

Another comment said: “Lets [sic] hope the ambulances in Whitby have sufficient petrol for the upcoming incident.”

“Hope she likes hospital food,” another person wrote.

A Scarborough Stand Up to Racism spokesperson told the Star: “Chubby Brown and his supporters made a huge fuss about their right to enjoy ‘harmless comedy’ behind closed doors.

“But [Monday’s] bomb scares at local refugee hotels, the anti-Afghan leafleting done at 5am Sunday morning by the far-right group Patriotic Alternative — all these things prove it’s far from harmless.

“This is why we protest against the likes of Chubby Brown. Because his supposedly harmless jokes encourage violence and intimidation.

“They let the right off the leash. In any sane society he would be prosecuted for inciting racial hatred.”

Following the events, Ms Webb-Ellis said she was convinced more than ever of the importance of standing up against figures who spread hate and division through communities.

She told the Star: “When our council-run venues give a platform to him, they make his supporters feel like theirs is the popular opinion, and that it’s OK to harass and victimise people.

“The threats of violence which led us to have to call off the protest in Whitby on Saturday, and the bomb scares at the Scarborough hotels, feel very much part of the same culture of fear being spread by the far right.

“It feels risky to speak out against the people, groups and institutions upholding and promoting racism in this area — we can’t give in to it, though. We can’t just rely on big national anti-racist organisations to improve the situation here.

“We need to organise on a local level to create networks of solidarity and take action in whatever ways we can before this hate and division can escalate or become even more deep rooted.”

Ms Webb-Ellis said that working together is a good way to combat the fear of violence and creating a unified anti-racist, anti-discrimination group was the next step.

She called on national campaign groups to spread the word and urged the public to contact Scarborough Council to denounce what she called its “institutionally racist position and holding them to account for their decision to sow the seeds of hate in our borough.”

Scarborough Council declined to comment.