The chairman of Somerset County Council is being urged to resign after saying "gypsies would fill their pockets" with the copper wiring for an online meeting.

The authority has launched an investigation into Councillor Nigel Taylor's "potentially inappropriate comments" at last the end of week's full council meeting.

He thanked two officers for setting up the technical equipment for the meeting before adding: "I think if any gypsies came back they'd manage to fill their pockets with copper wiring".

The ward member for Cheddar told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it was a "slip of the tongue" that he sincerely regrets.

Cllr Taylor said: "I just regret the whole thing. I have apologised to everybody. I sincerely regret any embarrassment to anyone.

"It was a stupid off-the-cuff remark, a slip of the tongue after a long meeting.

"I didn't even realise what I'd said.

"I've referred myself and asked to be investigated."

advertisement

Liberal Democrat group leader Jane Lock said Cllr Taylor's Conservative colleagues were left with their heads in their hands after the remark.

"For a brief second I was stunned. I thought I didn't hear it right," she said.

"You can't say that. You don't even talk in those terms in private, let alone as a public figure.

"I'm absolutely livid. He should do the right thing and resign immediately as chairman.

"He doesn't speak for me as the chair of Somerset County Council.

"Gypsies are a recognised minority ethnic group. If he was to talk like that about gay people or people from India it would be unacceptable. It's not acceptable to speak like that about the traveller community."

The council has removed the remark from the published audio recording of the meeting.

A spokesperson said: "We can confirm that there is an ongoing investigation into potentially inappropriate comments made during last week's full council meeting. We are unable to make any further comment while the matter is under investigation."