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A Labour councillor has been suspended from the party pending an investigation over alleged racist Facebook posts.

David Walls, who represents the Newsham ward on Blyth Town Council, is facing a probe following a series of posts featuring derogatory and racially charged language.

The 54-year-old, who was first elected in May 2017, told ChronicleLive the allegations are “PC brigade nonsense gone mad”.

In one post on his personal Facebook page, Mr Walls appears to use racist language in relation to Jews and Italians when discussing the BBC series Peaky Blinders and described asylum seekers as “boat people”.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Labour takes all complaints of racism and anti-Semitism extremely seriously, which are fully investigated and appropriate disciplinary action taken in line with our rules and procedures.

“Racism and anti-Semitism has absolutely no place in the party, and we are committed to challenging and campaigning against it, in all its forms.”

Responding to the allegations, Mr Walls said: “The matter will be dealt with by the National Executive Committee and if there’s anything to say it will come out.

“The bottom line is it’s allegations and bulls*** but unfortunately with anti-Semitism and racism being a hot topic it’s being investigated.

“I don’t blame the party for investigating and taking an interest but it will come out as a bunch of PC brigade nonsense.

“Somebody needs to get a life, whoever sits and comes up with this rubbish.

“I’m not a racist, it’s PC brigade nonsense gone mad.”

A leaked email to members from Councillor John Robert Potts, secretary of Blyth Valley constituency Labour party, confirmed the news.

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Coun Potts wrote: “Just to inform you that yesterday Coun David Walls was suspended from the Labour party pending a national enquiry and he is barred from attending and Labour party meetings.

“I assume he will continue to attend council meetings as we have no powers to remove him from that elected position.”

The Labour party is engulfed in a protracted scandal over anti-Semitic elements within the party, prompting accusations from some that leader Jeremy Corbyn is failing to tackle the issue.

Mr Corbyn has acknowledged that the party had been “too slow” in dealing with cases of anti-Semitism and apologised for the “hurt” it had caused.