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A Tory councillor suspended over social media posts referring to Diane Abbott as a “pig” has been reinstated by the party, as soon as he was elected as a councillor.

It comes after the Conservative Party won a council election by reinstating another councillor suspended over a racist joke.

Antony Mullen, was suspended by the party after Twitter posts were found on his account which described Sunderland - the council he has been elected to - as a “post apocalyptic s***hole”.

Another tweet described Labour Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott as a “filthy, bulbous pig.”

His party membership was quickly reinstated today, almost immediately after he won his seat.

Earlier today, the Tories narrowly secured control of Pendle council only after councillor Rosemary Carroll, who was suspended after sharing a racist joke online, had been reinstated.

The joke compared Asian people to dogs .

A Conservative Party statement said Mullen’s tweets were sent between four and seven years ago, and while they “may not have been to everyone’s taste”, there was “never any intention to offend or cause hurt.”

Mr Mullen added: “I wish to state that I did not at anytime intend to cause offence to anyone.

“Most of the tweets have been wildly construed to give an unfavourable impression of me.

“I can only apologise wholeheartedly to anyone the tweets offended as they were misrepresented in the press.

“The passing of time has removed them from their original context.

“I now look forward to representing the residents of Barnes Ward who have elected me their councillor.”

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Last week, Tory deputy Chairman James Cleverly denied his party had a racism problem, and defended the party’s ‘respect pledge’ and processes for removing people who make offensive comments.

Asked how people with inappropriate views get past the vetting process, Mr Cleverly said: “When individuals say and do things inappropriately … they are suspended.

"They are given an opportunity to explain themselves, and then if they fail to live up to the standards that they demand of them, they are ejected from the party."