The leader of Kent County Council says Islamophobic comments by a county councillor are reprehensible and may lead to his expulsion from the Conservative Party.

Cllr Paul Carter was responding to a letter of complaint from Karen Constantine, the Labour county councillor for Ramsgate, about Tory councillor Paul Messenger.

He was forced to apologise over a string of racist posts on Facebook about Muslims.

He had initially denied responsibility for the posts saying his Facebook page has been hacked.

He is currently suspended from the party.

In uncompromising remarks, Cllr Carter said: “I expect his suspension to be a very long one, if not permanent.

"Our group finds his past behaviour abhorrent and the Conservative Group at County Hall totally disassociates ourselves from Mr Messenger.

"Any form of racial abuse and hate is totally unacceptable.”

Cllr Constantine has lodged an official complaint about Mr Messenger, who was elected to KCC in 2017.

He was to have been a candidate in the forthcoming Thanet council election in May but has withdrawn.

In her letter, she said: “He has bought the role of elected representative and Kent County Council into disrepute.

“A number of Islamophobic and racist social media message’s posted by Cllr Messenger were recently put into the public domain.

"His comments are plainly racist, Islamophobic, and reprehensible, and have no relevance to our modern inclusive society, especially in light of the extremely worrying and tragic events in New Zealand.

“His conduct falls far below the standards expected of elected officials and the code of the council far below the Nolan Principles. Particularly ‘openness and honesty’.”

The Conservative party has been under the spotlight over Islamophobic comments made by members.

The Conservative leader of Swale borough council has been readmitted to the party following his suspension as a result of a controversial retweet.

Cllr Andrew Bowles, who represents Boughton and Courtenay, was temporarily removed while an investigation took place into his apparent endorsement of the right of the leader of the English Defence League Tommy Robinson, to free speech.

He later apologised for any offence caused.

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