Councillor in racism row 'sorry'

A borough councillor from Kent has made an "unqualified" apology after telling a British Asian man to move back to India or Pakistan in an online forum.

Jack Woodford, independent councillor for Wye on Ashford Borough Council, posted the comments in an anti-BNP discussion on the Facebook website.

He told Nunu Amin to "get back to washing up dishes in whatever curry house you work in" on the site.

The council's deputy leader has called on him to resign but he has refused.

'Not racist'

Mr Woodford said in a statement on Friday that he apologised to all members of the discussion group who were offended by his comments.

He said other Facebook contributors had subjected him to offensive, racist insults for some days.

"Nevertheless I now realise my reaction in the heat of the moment was wrong," he said.

"I am not a racist. I am not a supporter of the BNP.

"I am not against immigration, although like many people I have concern at the scale of it and the lack of control."

The deputy leader of the council Paul Bartlett has called for Mr Woodford to resign.

Mr Bartlett said: "If councillor Woodford does genuinely hold these views, he should resign his seat and fight as a BNP candidate, because the people of Wye don't deserve this."

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