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

Andy Weatherhead, who represented Hythe West, resigned from Kent County Council and Dymchurch Parish Council today.

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

Another picture reportedly showed Mr 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.

Reacting to news Mr Weatherhead had quit, Stephen James, chairman of Folkestone and Hythe Conservative Association, said: "I welcome the news that Mr Andrew Weatherhead, has resigned from Kent County Council and Dymchurch Parish Council and must reiterate that the abhorrent images and associations described in the article have no place in our association or the Conservative Party.

"I would like to thank Hope not Hate for uncovering this information and bringing it to my attention through the party's official complaints procedure so that I could act.

"As a British Army veteran, I know more than most the consequences if we do not defend, champion and promote democracy and the rule of law."

Georgina Laming, director of campaigns and communication at Hope Not Hate said: “Weatherhead was a committed fascist activist who promoted anti-semitism, concealed this history from the electorate and misled them further with his press statement.

"We welcome the news that Councillor Weatherhead has finally chosen to resign.

"However, this doesn’t draw this matter to a close. There must be a full investigation and audit into candidate selection processes to ensure that this does not happen again.”

Mr Weatherhead had said his links to the New British Union (NBU) "were made in the spirit of education and curiosity".

He was 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.

Last week, Mr Weatherhead, who worked as an administrative officer at the Ashford Inland Border Facility in Sevington until May last year, 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".

Mr Weatherhead also denied using antisemetic language in blogs.

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

Mr Weatherhead was suspended from the Conservative group and by the national party.

A party whip said an inquiry was under way into the allegations and to establish whether he had breached any party rules.

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

If the claims are found to be accurate, it is likely that he would have been 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."