How offensive is the word 'pikey'?

[BrilloPad]

How's about this one...

South Cambs Council have cancelled the free school bus that goes around the outlying villages.

However, they still lay on a free bus for the pikeys.

I am starting o regret starting this thread!

Gosh you do go on about these pi*eys!

You wouldn't catch me going on and on about a particular subject!

[RichardCranium]

That's 'cos everyone hates pikeys but we're not allowed to say so any more.

Despite them all being violent, dirty, thieving scroungers, for some reason we can't say so. Although we pay for the road signs they steal for scrap, we pay for the free council services they get, we pay for the damage the cause, yet we're not allowed to say we think they are robbers and don't deserve what they're given.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

How offensive is the BBC using our TV license money wasting time writing such an article?

licence

[Gonzo]

pikeys, tinkers, knackers, gypos - pick one

It's odd that there are all these different words for them.

Where I come from we use the words "cackers" and "diddicai". Do you think they would be considered less offensive?