Channel 4 know what they’re doing, and running documentary that showcases the intricate workings of one of the U.K’s most impoverished areas while 2014 is set to be a’ year of cuts’ is certainly one way to arouse debate. Sorry, free marketing.

Benefits Street FungiFungi - a resident of James Turner Street in Winson Green - caused controversy with his exploits

But the transparent nature of Channel 4’s ostensibly exploitative documentary was lost on many, who, instead of trying to understand why some parts of Britain face abject poverty while other thrive in affluence and why a television network would risk the welfare of a group of deprived individuals, decided to Tweet horrible things.

Here are the worst of them:

This person thinks the people on ‘Benefits Street’ need culling. Culling.



This individual would rather die than get given money:


People are dying undeservedly, and that’s got something to do with people on benefits, according this commentator:


This person really should have watched the show…


This Twitter user managed tried to defend much-maligned immigrants, but still managed to call them “scum”


And finally, the black cab driver who specifically wants the participants of the show “dragged” onto the street and shot “in the head”.


Oh, and It wasn’t easy to find a Tweet from someone who didn’t want someone to get shot in the head, but there was this one: