Liam Neeson interview sparks race row

Actor Liam Neeson is facing a major racism storm after admitting he once set out to kill an innocent black man.

He said he walked the streets with a weapon for a week years ago, hoping to take out his anger after someone close to him was raped by a black man.

The Hollywood star said he was ashamed of his actions, but his remarks have sparked widespread outrage.

In an interview with The Independent, he was speaking to promote his new film Cold Pursuit, a thriller about a man who seeks retribution after his son is murdered.

Asked how his character turns to anger, the actor replied that "something primal" kicks in when someone close to you is the victim of violence.

He said: "God forbid you've ever had a member of your family hurt under criminal conditions. I'll tell you a story. This is true."

Neeson said the alleged rape took place a long time ago and he found out about it when he came back from a trip abroad. The actor went on to use racially offensive language about the attacker.

He said: "She handled the situation of the rape in the most extraordinary way.

"But my immediate reaction was... I asked, did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person.

"I went up and down areas with a cosh, hoping I'd be approached by somebody - I'm ashamed to say that - and I did it for maybe a week, hoping some [uses air quotes with fingers] 'black bastard' would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know? So that I could kill him."

Neeson referred back to his comments later in the interview, adding: "It was horrible, horrible, when I think back, that I did that. And I've never admitted that, and I'm saying it to a journalist. God forbid.

"It's awful. But I did learn a lesson from it."

The 66-year-old is best known for Schindler's List and the thriller series Taken.