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At least twelve Conservative Party candidates have been suspended by the party during the local election campaign, the Mirror can reveal.

Manyof the suspensions ahead of todays local elections have centred around offensive comments made on social media.

Two candidates have been accused of making anti-Semitic remarks, including a post referring to"sweating like a Jew in an attic" and another which said the Star of David was the "Mark of the Beast".

The Labour Party has faced intense criticism over a raft of anti-Semitism claims concerning its supporters and leader Jeremy Corbyn's subsequent handling of the accusations.

Five Tory candidates have been accused of Islamophobic comments, including calling Islam "the new Nazism", the prophet Mohammed a ‘f****** paedophile’ and Allah ‘a c***'.

(Image: REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett)

The Muslim Council of Britain has formally called for an inquiry into "Islamophobia in the Conservative party".

Former Tory minister Baroness Warsi, the first female Muslim to attend cabinet, claimed at the weekend “there are almost now weekly occurrences of Islamophobic incidents and rhetoric,” in the Conservative Party.

But Tory deputy chairman James Cleverly denied the party has a problem with Islamophobia, adding that "all political parties" had individuals that "say and do things that are inappropriate".

Many of the suspensions came too late for the Tories to withdraw the candidate and they are still appearing on ballot papers today.

Antony Mullen

(Image: Facebook)

Anthony Mullen was chosen as the Conservative Party candidate in the Barnes ward in Sunderland.

The teaching assistant was suspended by the party for tweets on his account, including one which claimed a Labour rival had blamed the government for the Manchester terror attaclk.

Another post said Labour MP Dianne Abbott looked like "a filthy, bulbous pig” and others made derogatory comments about the personal appearance of other women.

Graham Hall, chairman of Sunderland Conservatives, told the Sunderland Echo: “The Conservative Party will investigate these allegations and the candidate is suspended in the meantime.”

Nick Sundin

Nick Sundin was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Ouseburn ward in Newcastle.

The Newcastle University student, and former UKIP candidate, was suspended by the Tories as it probed Islamophobic messages on his Twitter page.

He had called the prophet Mohammed a ‘f****** paedophile’ and Allah ‘a c***' in tweets.

In other tweets, he also blamed Liverpool fans for the Hillsborough disaster, in which 96 fans died.

A Conservative spokesman told the Newcastle Chronicle: “Mr Sundin has been suspended with immediate effect pending an urgent investigation.”

Ian Robinson

Ian Robinson had been pictured on leaflets as a Conservative Party candidate in the Netherton ward in Hyndburn, Lancashire.

He was replaced as the Tory candidate and suspended from the party over Facebook posts, including a Britain First link, that appeared on his page.

Mr Robinson told the Accrington Observer he had been hacked and had resigned from the Tories in protest over its fishing policy.

Patrick McGinley, chairman of Hyndburn Conservatives, said: “Ian Robinson was suspended pending further enquiries at an emergency meeting.

“He has since resigned his membership from the Conservative Party and will not stand in the upcoming elections.”

Alexander van Terheyden

Alexander van Terheyden was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Hoxton West ward in Hackney, east London.

The 37-year-old was suspended by the party after a Hackney Citizen article revealed he had called Islam a “violent political ideology” comparable to fascism, and attended a rally headed by former EDL leader Tommy Robinson.

He told the newspaper he was 'anti-Islam but not anti-Muslims' and that he attended the rally because he believes in free speech.

A Hackney Conservative Federation statement said: “Mr van Terheyden’s membership of the Conservative Party has been suspended with immediate effect.”

Darren Harrison

(Image: Facebook)

Darren Harrison was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Tudor ward in Watford, Hertfordshire.

Mr Harrison was suspended after a Vice News investigation claimed he was a supporter of a white supremacist group, Generation Identity, and associated with the English Defence League’s former leader Tommy Robinson.

A Conservative Party spokesman said: “Darren Harrison has been suspended. An investigation is underway."

George Stoakley

(Image: Twitter)

George Stoakley was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Fen Ditton and Fulbourn ward on South Cambridgeshire District Council.

The 23-year-old was suspended from the party over offensive tweets posted from his account, including one from 2013 which said he was "sweating like a Jew in an attic".

Another tweet posted the same year read: "Some people call it aids, I just call it weaponised semen."

(Image: Twitter) (Image: Twitter)

Lord Polak, Honorary President of Conservative Friends of Israel said: “George Stoakley’s historic Tweets are reprehensible and unequivocally antisemitic."

A Conservative Party spokesman said Mr Stoakley had been suspended from the party and that an inquiry is under way.

Karen Sunderland

(Image: Twitter/Karen Sunderland)

Karen Sunderland was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Crofton Park ward on Lewisham Council, south east London.

The 38-year-old was suspended from the party over offensive tweets posted from her account, including one comparing Islam to Nazism.

A tweet in December said: "...Islam has become the new Nazism" while one in November said: Parents will simply bang on about Islam and their rights blah blah blah. It confuses me so much why people with these views live in the West."

(Image: Twitter/Karen Sunderland)

Lewisham Labour mayoral candidate Damien Egan told the News Shopper : "Islamophobic comments like this are deeply divisive and they have no place in our community."

A Lewisham Conservatives statement on Sunday said Ms Sunderland had been suspended with immediate effect.

Kamran Razzaq

Kamran Razzaq was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Cradley and Wollescote ward on Dudley Council, West Midlands.

The 32-year-old was suspended from the party after his election leaflet claiming Labour had 'delivered hepatitis' to the area, which has a Tory/Ukip coalition running the council.

His leaflet claimed the Conservatives had delivered a "safer and cleaner ward" and the "regeneration of Cradley", while Labour had brought "hepatitis" and the "decline of our area".

Local Labour leader Pete Lowe said: “Words fail me... Politics should be above these sorts of slurs and outrageous accusations.”

A Conservative spokesman said: “Kamran Razzaq has been suspended and an investigation is underway.”

David Boston

(Image: Facebook)

David Boston was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Turkey Street ward on Enfield Council, north London.

The 33-year-old was suspended over a Facebook picture on his account showing bacon hanging from a door alongside the caption: "Protect your house from terrorism. Stay safe lads."

Another post on Facebook said: "I envy guys for gettin to say 's*** my dick' as sort of a 'f*** you.' "If I shouted 'lick my vagina' I'd have like 47 tongues in my pants."

(Image: David Boston / Facebook)

Voter Joe Bailey said: "These posts were not accidental, they show deep seated racism. It is offensive on so many levels."

An Enfield Conservatives statement on Facebook said: "The posts by David Boston are unacceptable and have been removed. His posts do not reflect the values of Enfield Conservatives."

Matt Lynch

Matt Lynch was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the St Helen's ward on Hastings Council, Kent.

The 60-year-old, who was formerly Mayor of Kettering, was suspended pending an investigation after Falklands veterans raised doubts over his claims to be a paratrooper war veteran.

Mr Lynch claimed online he "served in the British Army for 14 years, 12 of which were in 2 Para" while election profile picture showed him in a polo shirt featuring a 2 Para emblem.

Steve Flynn, treasurer of the Hastings Parachute Regimental Association, told the BBC : "To this day no one knows of him [Lynch].

"It's an insult to most people and their families. There were men who died on Mount Longdon who never saw their newborn baby. It's an insult to them."

Matthew Clarke

Matthew Clarke was chosen to stand as a Conservative Party candidate in the Manor ward on Stevenage Borough Council.

Mr Clarke was suspended from the party after it emerged he had written a blog post in 2005 supporting the death penalty for gay people.

On his blog, in he which he refers to himself as a “fundamentalist” Christian and a “cult” member, Mr Clarke also said women should keep their hair covered with a headscarf and should not wear trousers, and refers to the Star of David as the "Mark of the Beast".

He told the Comet newspaper : “I would like to express deep regret for the offensive comments I made 13 years ago."

A spokeswoman for the Conservative Party said: “Matthew Clarke has been suspended. An investigation is underway.”

Pete Handley

(Image: Oxford Mail / SWNS.com)

Pete Handley was the Conservative Party councillor, and due to be a candidate, for Carterton North West on West Oxfordshire District Council.

He was suspended by the Conservatives in early April after calling a Tory councillor colleague, who has osteoporosis, a ‘cripple’.

Mr Handley defended himself, telling the Oxford Mail : “The word wasn’t meant in the sense of today".

West Oxfordshire Conservative Association voted to suspended his membership for six months and is likely to expel him as he is running as an independent against the Tories in the election.