Councillor apology over train attack Facebook post

Doncaster councillor Alexander Jones says his post was "open to interpretations I did not intend"

A councillor has apologised for comments he posted on social media following a knife attack on a train in Cambridgeshire.

Multiple people were left injured following the mass stabbing on a Doncaster to London King's Cross service on Saturday.

Posting on Facebook on Sunday, Reform UK's Alexander Jones said "reports suggest that the individuals involved are not English", adding it was "prompting again discussion about the impact of mass immigration on public safety".

Police confirmed the suspect was a British national following the attack, with the Doncaster Council member later apologising "for any offence caused" and deleting the post.

His post attracted a backlash online and he was accused of "spreading misinformation", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In a statement later posted to his Facebook page, he said: "On Sunday morning I posted my immediate thoughts in the aftermath of Saturday night's horrific attacks.

"In hindsight what I wrote was open to interpretations I did not intend and I apologise for any offence caused and I have deleted the post."

Anthony Williams, 32, was remanded into custody at Peterborough Magistrates' Court on Monday charged with 10 counts of attempted murder.

He is next due to appear at Cambridge Crown Court on 1 December.

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