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A Tory councillor has been forced to apologise after comments surfaced where he said people on benefits were "pond life".

Cllr David Smith said the system had led to "rotten pond life families that should be sterilised and washed" according to reports from TeesideLive .

Cllr David Smith, who is just one of three Conservative councillors on Middlesborough Council for has apologised for the five-year-old comments he left on Middlesborough football club fan forum called Fly Me To The Moon (FMTTM) in 2014.

Under the thread "So what have the Labour Party ever done for us?" Cllr Smith, posting as Smoggy89, wrote: "The heinous benefit system which has lead (sic) to rotten pond life families that should be sterilised and washed."

After being challenged by other messageboard users, he added: "I'm not talking about everyone.

"There are so many genuine cases. But there is a large portion who are claimants that take the absolute Pi$$.

(Image: Gazzette Live)

"Yet they continue to breed. Rabbits the lot of them."

Cllr Smith was elected to in this year's local elections.

Responding to the comments he told our sister site: "I apologise unreservedly for the comments I made.

"That said welfare dependency is wrong for everyone involved and everyone should have an opportunity to fulfil their talents."

He said to have so many people on welfare was "morally wrong".

He added: "I'm proud the Conservatives have introduced a welfare system which has contributed to record employment."

(Image: Facebook)

Middlesbrough Labour Group leader, Cllr Matt Storey, said: "Sadly Cllr Smith's comments are symptomatic of a Conservative Government who have a total disregard for the poorest in our society.

"The botched roll out of Universal Credit , the cruelty of the bedroom tax and cuts to Child Benefit have seen those people on social security driven into extreme poverty even as many of them are in work.

"I hope Cllr Smith will reflect on the hurt his comments will cause to those people in Coulby Newham who have been affected in this way due to his government."