Richard and Judy pull plug on phone-in quiz

The quiz slot on Channel 4's Richard & Judy show, which has prompted an investigation into how viewers have paid thousands of pounds with no chance of taking part, has been axed amid reports yesterday that the police may be asked to investigate.

The "You Say We Pay" strand of the teatime series, which once featured Tony Blair, came under fire after it emerged that would-be contestants continued to be registered at a cost of £1 a time, even after that day's entrant had been chosen.

The presenters said they were angered by the blunder, with Richard Madeley adding he was "furious" when he found out.

The premium-rate phone line regulator Icstis, which is looking into the incident, has said it will pass its findings on to police if it believes there had been any criminal offence.

Scotland Yard has not so far been contacted and it is understood that police believe it highly unlikely that they will be drawn into the affair. "The Metropolitan Police is not investigating this matter at this time," a spokesman said.

The You Say We Pay section of the show was suspended immediately and will not now return. A spokesman for the couple, whose programme is made by independent production company Cactus, said: "Richard and Judy would feel it is inappropriate after what has happened for it to be on the air again."

"There is an ongoing investigation by Channel 4 and Cactus, who are both taking the issues very seriously and investigating at what point You Say We Pay went off the rails. I don't think there is any time frame for this. It will take as long as it takes."

Channel 4's founding chief executive, the TV grandee Jeremy Isaacs, last week hit out at the culture of using programmes to generate cash. "Programmes are becoming vehicles for making money," he said. "They aim to persuade viewers gullibly that they will win something. It's a disgrace and it should be stamped out."

The Richard & Judy scandal is the latest blow for Channel 4 in recent weeks. It came under fire in January over racism and bullying in Celebrity Big Brother, in which contestants Jo O'Meara, Jade Goody and Danielle Lloyd were seen to victimise the Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty.