More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
A councillor is under fire for saying a 'Home Guard' was needed to deal with asylum seekers landing on the Kent coast.
Brendan Chilton, a Labour leader in Ashford, soon deleted the tweet, which was also mocked by fans of classic sitcom Dad's Army.
Cllr Chilton has now explained he is sympathetic to asylum seekers and was suggesting a form of help for them.
But he admitted saying "Home Guard" was a "poor choice of words".
The phrase instantly made people think of the TV comedy classic Dad's Army, with the characters ready to repel genuine invaders.
Cllr Chilton, Labour group leader at Ashford Borough Council, tweeted: "Here's an idea. It's quite clear the Channel migrant crisis is not going away. The Government haven't got a clue. How many are arriving and then disappearing?
"Perhaps we need to form a sort of 'Home Guard' - voluntary - to support the coastguard, police, Border Force etc?"
Bridget Chapman, of Kent Refugee Action Network, screenshoted the tweet after it was removed and descried it as "incredible."
One Twitter user called Rich told Cllr Chilton: "Hey Brendan, maybe we could call it something like the, I dunno, ‘English Defence League’? Seems catchy."
Another under the handle Lord of the Pies said: "Ey up, corporal Pike has had an idea! Don’t tell him," referring to character Frank Pike in the TV show.
Gavin Deane said:" We already have a volunteer force helping with the channel migrant crisis, don't we? It's called the RNLI. Perhaps this chuffer could bung some support their way."
The RNLI regularly rescues asylum seekers off the Kent coast and has had abuse from some for this.
Cllr Chilton, Labour group leader at Ashford Borough Council, explained to KentOnline: "A large number of people are getting across the Channel in this current crisis.
"It is an extremely risky business and a number have already died trying to cross.
"We have had people washed up on beaches but how many have drowned that we do not know about?
"It is right that we welcome refugees and asylum seekers. What I was suggesting was a volunteer group who would offer those landing on beaches things like blankets.
"But they would also provide a wall against any hostility from people.
"I have seen video of people like dog walkers shouting at asylum seekers and being quite abusive when they have landed.
"I still think it is a noble idea and it would help overstretched organisations such as the Border Force.
"Volunteers have been used in lots of areas, for example for the Covid vaccination programme.
"But I think 'Home Guard' was a poor choice of words, which is why I deleted the tweet."
Cllr Chilton had posted the tweet at 8.47pm yesterday and deleted it at about 11am today as criticism poured in.
He said: "After the tweet went up all hell broke loose and my phone was constantly pinging when I was trying to work.
"I tried to respond to say what I meant."
The Home Guard was an armed voluntary force during the Second World War supporting the British Army.
It was for men too young or old to be in regular troops or those in reserved occupations.
It was a secondary defence force in case the Nazis tried to invade Britain.
The organisation was the inspiration for Dad's Army with the original TV show running from 1968 to 1977.
It was famous for its bumbling guardsmen with one character, Lance Corporal Jones, hysterically shouting: "don't panic" when there was a crisis.
More than 10,000 asylum seekers have crossed the Channel so far this year and the government has been pushing the Nationality and Borders Bill through Parliament to deal with the situation.
Asylum seekers have tried to reach Britain for decades now and the favoured method over the last three years has been by arriving in dinghies and landing in areas such as Dungeness in Romney Marsh or Kingsdown near Deal.
Many have been rescued at sea, often by Border Force, and brought to Dover for interview and processing.
