A Labour activist has been sacked amid claims she made anti-Semitic comments about the Holocaust.

Jackie Walker was removed from her position as vice chair of the left-wing campaign group Momentum, which supports party leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Mrs Walker, who lives in Broadstairs, learned her fate last night after a meeting of the group's steering committee.

A statement issued by Momentum confirmed Mrs Walker had lost her job but remains a member of Momentum and its steering committee.

The decision came after Mrs Walker was recorded at the Labour Party conference last week saying: "In terms of Holocaust Day, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Holocaust Day was open to all people who experienced Holocaust?"

She came under scrutiny immediately for the comments which are also alleged to have included her questioning the need for security at Jewish schools.

"The steering committee view her behaviour as irresponsible and lost confidence in her as vice chair" - Momentum statement

Mrs Walker has already apologised for the comments but Momentum said her remarks on Holocaust Day, which were not deemed to be anti-Semitic, were "ill-informed, ill-judged and offensive".

Momentum's statement read: "Jackie’s actions at Labour Conference, in her subsequent Channel 4 interview, and by not understanding concern caused by her statements, have led the steering committee to view her behaviour as irresponsible and lose confidence in her as vice chair.

"In such circumstances, the committee feels that Jackie should have done more to explain herself to mitigate the upset caused and should have been careful about statements on this and related subjects, whatever her record as an anti-racist, which the committee applauds."

Their statement added they did not believe she should be expelled from the Labour Party.

More on this throughout the day.