A COUNCILLOR has been slammed after saying travellers should go "back to Ireland" with "their thieving and filthy ways".

Southend's Cllrs Chris Walker and Stephen Aylen replied to an email to all councillors with "ill considered comments" which "shame every councillor".

4 Councillor Chris Walker, whose comments about travellers have been slammed by a fellow councillor

4 Councillor Stephen Aylen was also included in the public airing of'ill advised comments'

They had responded to an email from Councillor Julian Ware Lane asking for "more compassion, tolerance and understanding" instead of calling in the police and moving groups on when they set up camp in the town.

Conservative's Cllr Walker replied: "They are treated like pariahs because they are pariahs.

"They have been driven from Ireland whence they emanate because of their thieving and filthy ways.

"They contribute nothing to society in the way of taxes etc and create filth wherever they go. Why should we make allowance for them?

"It would be better for all if they were to learn the foolishness of their ways and go back to Ireland. They are their own worst enemies."

Cllr Aylen suggested that Cllr Ware Lane visited the areas that are often affected by groups of travellers moving in to "tell the residents what you think".

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Both councillor's remarks were published on the Labour councillor's blog as he felt they should be a matter of public record.

Speaking to the Sun Online Cllr Ware Lane said: "We have to try to look after all of us and to label a whole community - that's racism.

"Yes there will be challenges about finding some space for them and it might prove not possible but to not try and use the disparaging language that they do it's just wrong in my opinion.

"I just want them to see the error of their ways and retract what they said."

Cllr Walker defending his reaction, saying: "I was simply responding to Julian Ware Lane's comments as he obviously wants to welcome travellers to his part of town where there is absolutely no green space there, so he has had no problems with travellers.

4 Councillor Julian Ware Lane posted the replies from his fellow councillors on his blog

4 Oakwood Park in Southend, where travellers have been said to break into previously Credit: Google Maps

"It's the second time in two years they have come into our parks and there's been rubbish and damage each time.

"When people cause damage like that what other response can you get?"

He added the latest group to arrive in a Southend park broke the lock on a gate, before residents put six more locks on, but these were also broken.

Cllr Stephen Aylen, an Independent who comes from a traveller background himself, said: "It was an email sent internally to different councillors and I've got lots of support for what I said.

"I didn't say anything offensive or anything upsetting, I really just said what the situation is.

"He's not referring to proper travellers, he's referring to these Irish ones who come over and supporting them.

"He doesn't have the problems.

"We have a lot of old people living in my area, they knock on their doors and say 'we'll tarmac your drive' and they charge them hundreds of pounds.

"Mr Ware Lane is trying to score political points."

Yesterday we reported on amazing aerial pictures showing thousands of travellers taking over an Oxfordshire field after it was booked out for a Christian festival.

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