No action over 'coconut' comment

The comment was made in a council budget meeting in February

A black councillor who called an Asian colleague a "coconut" in a council debate should face no further action, a report has recommended.

Shirley Brown, a Liberal Democrat councillor, used the term towards Conservative member Jay Jethwa at a Bristol City Council budget meeting.

The report was produced for the council's standards committee following the incident in February.

The council will meet to discuss the report next Tuesday.

The incident was recorded live on a webcam at the meeting.

Conservative Richard Eddy criticised the report saying its recommendations not to take action was "disgraceful".

He said: "It's fine to attack someone for what they say, but to do that because of their colour is absolutely abhorrent.

"More to the point, Shirley Brown didn't just say it in the heat of the moment. She actually said this as part of a written speech she also said it was something a lot of the people in the city knew what it meant, understood, and would support that."

A Bristol City Council spokesman said it would be inappropriate to make any comment ahead of next Tuesday's meeting.