A SENIOR councillor has “no regrets” despite being criticised for using a Nazi slur against a politician.

Martin Terry, Independent councillor for Thorpe Ward, responded to a comment on X, formerly known at Twitter, on immigration by Reform UK Party leader Richard Tice by posting a picture of saluting Nazis accompanied with the words “Sieg Heil”.

GB News commentator, Mr Tice attracted Mr Terry’s ire after saying: “People have been let down by politicians year after year, election after election. No one voted for mass immigration. The Home Secretary’s warm words are not enough. Only Reform UK will stop the boats.”

The post was spotted by Southend businessman Paul Thompson who called it “highly offensive and disgusting”.

Mr Thompson said: “I was quite shocked when I saw it to be fair. It’s shocking, it’s so offensive to pretty much everybody.

“For a person in public office and a senior councillor, he really should know better. It’s absolutely shocking especially for anyone who fought in the war. Fair enough if he said he’d made a mistake but to stand by it, it’s shocking. I can’t believe anyone would think this is acceptable to put that out on social media in this day and age.”

The former Southend Council deputy leader and former councillor responsible for public protection was unrepentant when questioned about the post.

He said: “I’ve got no reservations about that because Richard Tice has been pumping a very strong anti-immigration narrative constantly and what he is saying is very, very divisive.

“He’s on the hard right of politics. Everyone knows that. That picture has also been put out by someone. It is what it is.

“Richard Tice is well known to be on the hard right. He’s mixed up with Nigel Farage and all that lot who are on the hard right constantly attacking immigrants. It’s causing a lot of division in our society so I think you just call out things. It is what it is and that’s my view.

“It’s nationally known Richard Tice is on the far-right. He constantly espouses his far-right view, particularly on immigration. It’s causing division in our society and I don’t want to see that.”

“My father was in the British Army in the Second World War.”