UKIP Councillor Eric Kitson Resigns

A UK Independence Party councillor has resigned after admitting sharing offensive material about Muslims on Facebook.

Eric Kitson has quit Worcestershire County Council just two weeks after winning his post in the local elections, which saw a national UKIP surge.

Mr Kitson, who represented Stourport-on-Severn, has denied being a racist and claims he shared cartoons and jokes to show how "disgusting" they were.

He has since apologised and said it was "stupid" for him to share the messages, which were posted last year on his Facebook page.

An internal investigation has been launched by the party and the National Executive Committee (NEC) are now considering whether to eject Mr Kitson from the party.

West Mercia Police have also confirmed they are now investigating after concerns were raised by members of the public.

Mr Kitson was interviewed voluntarily and has had his computer seized as officers look for evidence.

In a statement on Wednesday, the 59-year-old confirmed his resignation and apologised for "letting down" his friends, family and constituents.

Mr Kitson said: "It is with sadness that I am announcing my resignation as a councillor.

"I am extremely sorry to have let down my friends, the people in the hardworking UKIP team that got me elected, the people of Stourport-on-Severn who gave me the honour of electing, and of course my family.

"Like many people who are not professional politicians, I used my Facebook page as a general post board. That was foolish. I am no racist, but I can understand why people could think so."

UKIP chairman Steve Crowther said: "We believe that Mr Kitson is an honest man who has made, by his own admission, some serious mistakes, by posting or reposting offensive material on his Facebook page which he should never have associated himself with.

"He regrets this enormously, and rightly so. His decision to resign is, under the circumstances, the right one.

"UKIP deplores racism or religious intolerance in any form, and this is a stark demonstration that people who are careless, unthinking or foolishly provocative in their online activity can both give great offence to others and severely damage themselves.

"Mr Kitson's membership of the party will be considered by the NEC, who will take into account the outcome of the police investigation now under way."

Mr Kitson has closed his Facebook page in the wake of the row.

He received 1,385 votes to take the Wyre Forest seat on May 2, beating rivals from the three mainstream political groups.

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: "A man from Stourport was voluntarily interviewed by officers over concerns raised by the public about allegedly offensive and racist comments made on social media.

"A computer was also seized by police with the man's consent for evidence-gathering purposes.

"An investigation has now been launched by West Mercia Police into the complaints and officers will establish whether any offences have been committed."

The spokesman stressed that Mr Kitson had not been arrested, adding that a file had been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service for consideration.