A Conservative county councillor has apologised after pictures emerged from his time as a member of an openly-fascist group.

Cllr Andy Weatherhead, who represents Hythe West, says his links to the New British Union (NBU) "were made in the spirit of education and curiosity".

He was suspended by Kent Tories with immediate effect yesterday after photographs were published by campaign group Hope Not Hate of him attending a far-right rally.

Another picture reportedly shows Cllr Weatherhead at the NBU’s inaugural conference in October 2013.

The photo includes symbolism such as a lightning bolt within a circle. This symbol was used by the British Union of Fascists - also known as the Blackshirts - formed by Oswald Mosley in 1932.

He is also pictured in similar garb in November 2013 when he was snapped at a rally outside the Greek Embassy in London. Hope Not Hate says the demo was in support of the neo-fascist Golden Dawn movement.

Cllr Weatherhead, who works as an administrative officer at the Ashford Inland Border Facility near Sevington, according to the county council register of interests, has issued a statement in response.

"I completely agree that the optic [sic] of these pictures is poor and potentially upsetting for some," he said. "For this I can and do sincerely apologise."

He says his association with the NBU was "brief" and says he looks back on that time with "regret and personal disappointment".

Cllr Weatherhead also denies using antisemetic language in blogs.

He says he re-entered mainstream politics in 2014, having seen fringe politics "for what it truly was".

Yesterday, the Kent Tory party whip Cllr Dylan Jeffrey confirmed that Cllr Weatherhead had been suspended from the Conservative group and by the national party.

"Kent Tories have questions to answer about how a man with such abhorrent views was allowed to stand..."

Cllr Jeffrey told KentOnline an inquiry was underway into the allegations and to establish whether he had breached any party rules.

If the claims are found to be accurate, it is likely that he will be expelled.

Labour councillors had demanded Kent Conservatives withdraw the whip in light of the claims.

Cllr Lauren Sullivan, the Labour group leader on Kent County Council (KCC), said: "Kent Tories have questions to answer about how a man with such abhorrent views was allowed to stand."

Folkestone Labour councillor Jacqueline Meade added: "Just weeks after we suffered a far-right terrorist attack on an immigration centre in Dover we find out that we have people on the KCC benches who share this hate-filled ideology.

"Councillors should be people who seek to unite not divide communities."

The investigation into Cllr Weatherhead is expected to be conducted jointly by the county council Conservative group and the national party board.

Until the matter is resolved, he is permitted to sit on committees but as an independent. The councillor had been due to attend a meeting at County Hall this morning but was not present.

He was elected to the Hythe West seat in May 2021 with 49% of the vote.

Kent County Council leader Roger Gough told the BBC: "Further to the allegations made on the Hope not Hate website, earlier this morning the Chief Whip and I took the decision to suspend Andy Weatherhead as a Member of the Conservative Group at Kent County Council with immediate effect.

"We have been in contact with, and have acted in coordination with the national Conservative Party, who will be investigating the matter.

"Without prejudging the investigation, I must emphasise that the abhorrent views and associations described in the article have no place in the Conservative Group at Kent County Council."