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A senior Tory has been suspended from the party for allegedly claiming London Mayor Sadiq Khan would treat people "like dirt".

David Dean, a Conservative candidate in the London Assembly elections last month, faces a party investigation after a voter claimed he told him: "as a white man...you will be a pariah in your own town. He will treat you like dirt."

It's claimed Mr Dean made the comments while canvassing ahead of the election, and they were recorded by a neighbour.

A Conservative spokesman said: "As soon as we became aware of his comments he was immediately suspended from the party, pending an investigation.”

Mr Dean told the London Evening Standard he was not racist and "banter" had been taken out of context.

He said: "I'm not a racist...have you met my wife? She's from Cyprus."

He said he had been laughing and joking with people, and that the person he had been canvassing had been loudly complaining to him about the Tory party, but had been smiling as he shouted.

He added: "I said x,y,z and we ended up shaking hands whilst he told me to f**k off."

But the complainant said he had not been shouting or smiling, and did not swear.

He described Mr Dean's alleged comments as "repulsive".

(Image: Getty)

The claims were sent in a letter of complaint to the Conservative Party on May 3rd, two days before the election.

A day earlier, Mr Dean tweeted describing the Labour party as "deeply bigoted" after a member had been suspended for an "anti-Semitic rant."