A councillor has apologised after joining a Facebook group which contained anti-Muslim insults.

Cllr Howard Doe, Conservative councillor for Rainham South ward and Medway Council’s portfolio holder for community services, was a member of a group called "Keep the UK Parliament a Christian Parliament".

Photographs on the page included banners with anti-Islam messages.

Cllr Doe says he joined the group "inadvertently" and says he removed himself from it within an hour of being made aware of its content.

But he has faced criticism for allowing his name to be linked to the page.

Many of the members of the group displayed profile pictures with the flag of St George and the Union Flag.

After being made aware of the web page by the Medway Messenger, Cllr Doe said: "It is absolutely appalling, I certainly don’t subscribe to that kind of view.

"I think, if I remember rightly, I probably pressed the wrong button, I had about 10 of these people asking me about things.

"I did not actually realise that I had become a member until you contacted me. I would like to thank you for bringing this to my attention.

"Since you told me, I have immediately removed myself from this group and would like to point out that I do not condone the views that it expresses. When I got a telephone call from our office I was horrified. Muslims have got a very important part to play in the country’s politics.

"I would like to apologise to any one who may have been offended by this. It is very important that we do not have these views in circulation, that would be very sad."

Paul Clark (Lab), MP for Gillingham and Rainham, said: "As the man responsible for Medway’s community and cultural strategy, signing himself up to what amounts to a racist Facebook group that wouldn’t be out of place in a BNP manifesto is reprehensible.

"Politicians have a duty to represent all the people, whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, or no faith.

"This appalling lack of judgement brings his position into question."