A comedy show had to be halted when a comedian performing on stage was subjected to racist abuse from an audience member.

Benjamin Bankole Bello, who performs as spooof African dictator President Obonjo was gigging at the West End Comedy Club in London on Monday when the alleged incident occured.

According to the club a group of 12 men disrupted the performance with slurs including "monkey" and the N-word being yelled during President Obonjo's set.

The show was ended early due to the incident. An audience member present at the show, who was also a police officer, summoned other officers to the venue. One man was arrested.

A suspect involved in the racial abuse was bailed pending advice from the Crown Prosecution Service, as standard for cases of this nature. The suspect has been barred from attending the comedy club to prevent further abuse or interference in the case.

President Obonjo is slated to return for a solo show at the West End Comedy Club on Wednesday 8 May.

A West End Comedy Club spokesperson: “We want to express our sincere apologies and condemnation regarding the racist incident involving President Obonjo. Racism has no place at our club. We took immediate action, ending the show early and cooperating with the police. We are committed to ensuring a safe, inclusive environment and are working closely with President Obonjo, who we're delighted to welcome back on May 8.”