With his little ukulele in his hand, he was the toothy Lancastrian comedian who became Britain's biggest box office act in the 1930s. But, with scant regard for George Formby's fame and reputation, members of a folk club in the Scottish Borders have branded Wigan's most famous son a racist and called for “zero tolerance” of his distinctive sound.

The row at the Friday night folk sessions in the Cobbles Inn, Kelso, centres on Roger Platfoot, the ukulele-strumming former treasurer of the George Formby Society.

His faultless renditions of vintage songs such as I'm the Husband of the Wife of Mr Wu, and the neglected Wunga Bunga Boo, have enraged a minority of his local folk club because they make fun of “Zulus” and use terms such as “Chink” for a Chinese person.

Keith and Cate Ryan said in a letter to their local newspaper that they had twice complained about the lyrics, but their grievances had been dismissed out of hand.

Mr Ryan said: “At the time of the 40th anniversary of Enoch Powell's ‘rivers of blood' speech, we were shocked by the acceptance of racist songs being sung at the sessions. My wife and I have raised our objections to the singer but on both occasions were told to ‘folk off' in an aggressive manner. Our complaints to the owners also fell on deaf ears.

“There should be zero tolerance. We felt saddened that this racism happens in Kelso and is considered acceptable. What next? Songs about the disabled, gays or some other easy-to-target group?”

Some locals say that the row has a personal edge: Mr Platfoot and the Ryans live in the same street in the nearby village of Heiton. Mr Platfoot, who plays a 1930s Gibson banjo-

ukulele, was quick to defend Formby's songs. “They're certainly not racist,” he said. “All the stuff I play has been widely published, is on record and is a reflection of what was done at the time. The songs go down very well with others at the club.”

Worryingly for Formby enthusiasts, Mr Platfoot's experiences in Kelso are not unique. In Oswestry, John Croft, the former president of the George Formby Society, said he had also had complaints after a performance of the entertainer's American medley, which includes Campdown Races, at a pub in a Shropshire village

“This chap in the village had married an American girl and I was berated by her for singing racist songs. I was flabbergasted. I was singing them in the spirit in which they were written, which may have an element of racism in there, but I certainly wasn't singing them with that in mind,” he said.

Mr Platfoot and Mr Croft received strong support from Fred Pearson, the chairman of the Ukulele Society of Great Britain. “It's rubbish to suggest these songs are racist. George Formby was no more racist than anyone of his age. He kept people cheerful with his cheerfulness,” Mr Pearson said.

Kelso folk club's chairman, Dave Kilpatrick, said the row at his club was between the “eccentric” Mr Platfoot and the “New Age” Ryans, and defended the content of the songs.

“They are not to everyone's taste, but the racist language was innocent, the songs sketching slightly risqué ethnic caricatures in a humorous and affectionate manner. If we ever have to ban non-PC songs, 200 years of repertoire would be decimated, along with very many Border ballads,” Mr Kilpatrick said.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission declined to comment.

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