A controversial politician will be allowed to remain in the nationalist Alternative for Germany party (AfD) despite posing to be photographed in front of wine bottles decorated with images of Adolf Hitler.

Jessica Biessmann, a member of the Berlin regional parliament, was suspended from the AfD after the pictures were made public last years.

Regional party leaders pushed to have her expelled but a party hearing at the weekend decided to limit disciplinary measures against her to a formal warning.

The decision opens the way for Ms Biessmann to resume the party whip in the Berlin regional parliament despite the photographs, which show her reclining suggestively on a kitchen counter with the Hitler wine bottles the background.

Ms Biessmann said the photographs were taken ten years ago and claimed she had no idea the wine bottles were there when she posted them on social media. “We just wanted to take some beautiful pictures,” she said.