Police quiz "Big Brother" contestant over race row

London, Feb 2 (Reuters) A contestant in British reality TV show ''Celebrity Big Brother'' has been questioned by police over a racist bullying row, her lawyers said today.

Model Danielle Lloyd, a former Miss Great Britain, was interviewed as a witness yesterday over alleged comments made by her and several other contestants about Indian actress Shilpa Shetty.

''She was interviewed as a witness, not under caution,'' said a spokesman at Lloyd's lawyers, London solicitors Schillings.

The 23-year-old had requested the interview ''because she wanted to cooperate and raise her own concerns too'', Lloyd's spokeswoman was quoted by the Sun newspaper as saying.

Lloyd became the first contestant to be interviewed by police over the row. Theoretically police could bring charges of incitement to racial hatred, carrying a maximum 7-year jail term.

Lloyd, television personality Jade Goody and several other housemates have been vilified by the media following their comments about Shetty, which generated thousands of complaints and prompted an uproar in India.

Shetty, who won the show by public vote, was called a ''dog'' on the programme and a few of the housemates refused to learn her name, referring to her as ''the Indian'' and ''Poppadom.'' Shetty said after winning the contest she did not think those accused of tormenting her on the reality series meant to be racist.

REUTERS AB HT1715