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The Conservatives have expelled one of their Leicester City Council candidates from the party as polling day approaches.

Tory officials have said David Haslett has been thrown out of the party after LeicestershireLive highlighted a number of Facebook posts about race and sexuality that have been made on his account in recent weeks and months.

Mr Haslett was chosen to represent the Conservatives as a candidate in the Abbey ward in Leicester in tomorrow’s city council election.

The Facebook posts between July last year and March shared videos by EDL founder Tommy Robinson and indicated support for Far Right Groups

Another read: “UKIP, For Britian, Britian (sic) First, National Front all speak out against Islam, shame they all compete for voters?’

This was posted along with an article about Britain First leaders Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen being released from jail after they were imprisoned for hate crimes last year.

In another post a BBC article about a black student studying at Oxford University was shared with the comment: “If you want more blacks to attend university, they need to improve their grades, simple!’

Commenting on a recent campaign to stop lessons about LGBT issues in a Birmingham school another post said: “All schools should stop teaching this outrage!!’

A story about Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May’s vow to ban ‘gay conversion’ therapies was also shared with the comment: ‘How can someone make a law that breaks God’s law and claim to be a follower of Islam or Christianity, repentance is what is required!’

Mr Haslett’s Facebook account appeared to have been deleted today but after LeicestershireLive showed Conservative officials screen shots of the posts, a party spokesman said he had had been expelled.

He remains on the ballot paper as a Conservative candidate however because his expulsion came after the close of nominations for candidates.

The Conservative spokesman said: “Mr Haslett has been expelled from the Party. Nominations for local government candidates have closed. Electoral law dictates that after the deadline has passed candidates cannot be removed from the ballot or their details changed.

“However, Mr Haslett is not a Conservative Party candidate and would not be allowed to join the Conservative group if elected.”

Mr Haslett has been contacted for comment.