Merseyside Police are probing an alleged ‘racial hate crime’ against Ross Barkley.
Kelvin Mackenzie had compared the Everton midfielder, who has a Nigerian heritage, to ‘a gorilla at the zoo’ in his latest column for The Sun.
Barkley was punched in a Liverpool city centre bar last Sunday during what the player’s representatives have described as an ‘unprovoked attack’.
The investigation into Mackenzie’s comments on the England footballer came just hours after the Mayor of Liverpool demanded Everton revoked its media access to the Sun.
Joe Anderson called on the Goodison Park hierarchy to act decisively on a publication which he described as ‘a smack in the face to our city.’
The Sun remains widely boycotted on Merseyside over its infamous ‘The Truth’ front page which accused Liverpool fans of stealing from Hillsborough victims.
Mackenzie was the paper’s editor at the time of their 1989 coverage, which was deemed false in last year’s verdict that the 96 deceased were unlawfully killed.
Mayor Anderson announced on Twitter that he had lodged a complaint with both Merseyside Police and Independent Press Standards Organisation over the piece.
Mackenzie has since been suspended as a Sun columnist with immediate effect, the paper’s owners News UK have confirmed.
“The views expressed by Kelvin Mackenzie about the people of Liverpool were wrong, unfunny and are not the view of the paper,” a spokesperson said.
“The Sun apologises for the offence caused.
“The paper was unaware of Ross Barkley’s heritage and there was never any slur intended.
“Mr Mackenzie is currently on holiday and the matter will be fully investigated on his return.”
Saturday will mark the 28th anniversary of the Hillsborough tragedy.