Okereke accuses John Lydon of bigotry

Bloc Party's Kele Okereke has accused Sex Pistols star John Lydon of being "a bigot" following a confrontation at the Summercase Festival in Spain.

Okereke said he had an altercation with Lydon and his entourage backstage at the music event after speaking to the punk veteran about his former band Public Image Ltd.

The indie singer branded the incident, in which he suffered facial bruising, cuts and a split lip, as an "unprovoked racist attack".

A member of Lydon's entourage allegedly told Okereke: "Your problem is your black attitude."

Foals frontman Yannis Philippakis and Ricky Wilson from the Kaiser Chiefs intervened after the scuffle broke out between the musicians.

The incident has been reported to Spanish and UK authorities.

"It's not an issue of the physical assault, even though it was an unprovoked attack," said Okereke. "It is the fact that race was brought into the matter so readily.

"Someone as respected and as intelligent as Lydon should know better than to bring race into the equation, or socialise with and encourage those who hold such narrow-minded attitudes.

"I am disappointed that someone I held with such high regard turns out to be such a bigot."