Lib Dem candidate Ashuk Ahmed has been suspended today after Facebook posts attacking Jews came to light

The Liberal Democrat running to become MP for Luton South has been dramatically suspended by the party after a MailOnline investigation revealed that he made a series of disturbing anti-Semitic posts on social media.

Ashuk Ahmed, 51 – who was given an award at the House of Lords for 'inspirational role models for British Muslims' – will no longer contest the seat, a Liberal Democrat spokesman confirmed.

Mr Ahmed posted a series of posts comparing Jews to Nazis, suggesting that Zionists controlled 'half the world' and claiming that Labour and the Conservatives were controlled by 'Zionist paymasters'.

Among the offensive posts and shares, which were made in 2014, were images of the Israeli prime minister eating children and the slogan, 'blood sucking leech'.

On one occasion, he wrote: 'Zionists control half the world, we are the other half. So let's make a lot more noise.' He also suggested that the Labour and Conservative parties are controlled by 'Zionist paymasters'.

Mr Ahmed also shared a video made by an extreme anti-Semitic group AshkeNazi, which claims to 'expose… the current takeover of the United States by the Jewish Ashkenazi tribe'.

Mr Ahmed, a community worker who was awarded an MBE in the 2009 Queen's birthday honours in recognition of his services to young people, also spread the anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that ISIS was created by 'Jewish media and their gentile pawns' in order to 'justify more slaughter'.

Ashuk Ahmed, 51 – who was given an award at the House of Lords for 'inspirational role models for British Muslims' – will no longer contest the seat after a series of anti-Semitic posts were discovered, a Liberal Democrat spokesman confirmed

Mr Ahmed shared posts comparing Jews to Nazis, suggesting that Zionists controlled 'half the world' and claiming that Labour and the Conservatives were controlled by 'Zionist paymasters'

Among the offensive posts, which were made in 2014, were images of the Israeli prime minister under the slogan, 'blood sucking leech'

When asked by MailOnline whether he stood by his anti-Semitic posts and if he wished to apologise, Mr Ahmed declined to comment. Instead he forwarded a police letter which confirmed he had been investigated.

A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: 'You sent us the email with the screenshots at 11:55 and we suspended Mr Ahmed at 11:56.

'Mr Ahmed's utterances have no place in the party. We believe in a politics that is open, tolerant and united.'

The former parliamentary candidate was interviewed under caution by Bedfordshire police in 2014 following a complaint about the anti-Semitic posts, which were made before that date.

Ashuk Ahmed praised the 'strong words' of the Lib Dems unlike - he claimed - others who will not comment for fear of upsetting 'zionist paymasters'

Ashuk Ahmed was suspended as a candidate for the Lib Dems today after a series of Facebook posts came to light, one of which attacked 'zionist Tesco'

Mr Ahmed also shared a video comparing the Israeli secret service to Isis

He resigned from his position on the Bedfordshire Police Independent Advisory Group (IAG) shortly afterwards. No charges were brought, however, and he was re-appointed as the group's Vice Chair last year.

Chief Superintendent David Boyle from Bedfordshire Police said: 'A police investigation was launched into reports of the sharing of anti-Semitic posts on Mr Ahmed's Facebook page, but no criminal offences were found to have been committed.'

He also claimed that no 'issues' had come up since Mr Ahmed was reappointed.

In 2010, Mr Ahmed was given a British Community Honours Award at the House of Lords naming him as an 'inspirational role model for British Muslims as part of mainstream society' who improved 'social cohesion'.

He was also named on the Independent on Sunday 'Happy List 2009' which recognised 100 people who make Britain a 'better, more caring and contented nation'.

According to Mr Ahmed's official website, he is also a school governor and a trustee for Crime Stoppers UK Eastern Region.

Ashuk Ahmed has been suspended today after a series of posts emerged suggesting he is anti-Semitic

Joe Glasman, Head of Political and Government Investigations at Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: 'Ashuk Ahmed has posted repugnant, anti-Semitic material online, for which he was interviewed by police. Yet he has been made an MBE, has been appointed to a powerful police advisory group, and has been selected to stand as the Liberal Democrat candidate.

'His anti-Semitic posts are no secret. It beggars belief that we have to ask a political party and a police force not to appoint people like Mr Ahmed to positions of power.'

This is not the first time Liberal Democrat politicians have been accused of anti-Semitism. Jenny Tongue, a former peer, was forced to quit the party after she was suspended over alleged anti-Semitic comments.

Among a series of posts, Mr Ahmed claimed 'zionists control half the world, we are the other half'

And councillor and former MP David Ward said on Twitter that 'Zionists' were 'winning despite the appalling racism of the state of Israel and its supporters'.

It comes as Tim Farron attempts to position his party as a 'warm home' for Jews alienated by the anti-Semitism scandal in Labour.

'I want to make a bold pitch to progressive voters in the Jewish community and say, we are for you,' Mr Farron said last year.

'As somebody who considers himself to be a friend of the Jewish community here, supports the right of Israel to exist, supports a two-state solution and thinks antisemitism should be called out at every single opportunity it rears its ugly head, I hope people would find that we are progressive, going places and a warm home.'

Sam Westrop, director of Islamist Watch, a project of the U.S.-based Middle East Forum, said: 'At a time when the Labour Party's failure to tackle anti-Semitism seriously has lost them the trust of the Jewish community, the Liberal Democrats have made a wise decision to reject this extremist.

'When Ashuk Ahmed was selected as a political candidate, given an MBE, or praised by politicians as a 'community leader', he was legitimised as a representative of the Muslim community.

'That is an insult to moderate Muslims everywhere, who would be embarrassed and outraged by Ahmed's hateful Islamist views.'