Cleese: Don't mention the war...be nice to Germans

John Cleese is finally to lay to rest his portrayal of Germans as goose-stepping Nazis.

John Cleese is finally to lay to rest his portrayal of Germans as goose-stepping Nazis.

The actor and comedian is spearheading a campaign to persuade today's British undergraduates to forget about the Second World War.

He will attempt to bury the famous Basil Fawlty image of Germans once and for all as he launches a competition for students to write about more positive experiences of the country.

The competition is being run by the German Academic Exchange Service, which is worried that the stereotype depicted in the 197's Fawlty Towers television sketch is still alive and kicking in Britain.

Mr Cleese said he was "delighted to help with trying to break down the ridiculous anti-German prejudices of the tabloids and clowns like Basil Fawlty - who are pathetically stuck in a world view that's more than half a century out of date".

No prizes, however, for guessing the competition title: "Don't mention the war."