Dorset councillor Bill Pipe removed over stop and search remarks

Bill Pipe apologised for his "ill-informed" comments made at the online meeting

A councillor has been removed from Dorset's police and crime panel after making remarks about police targeted stop and search operations.

Purbeck councillor Bill Pipe apologised after he said "certain races" were more likely to commit crimes in the county.

Opposition councillors had called for the council to take action.

Dorset Council leader Spencer Flower confirmed that Mr Pipe had been removed from the panel and would voluntarily take equality and diversity training.

Mr Pipe had been speaking at an online meeting of the police and crime panel last month which was discussing a report which found black people in Dorset were 25 times more likely to be stopped and searched than white people.

Mr Pipe, who sits on Dorset Council, said: "If a particular race or colour is likely to commit specific crimes and we don't stop and search them and they carry out these crimes then I think we are doing wrong.

"Certain races are more likely in Dorset to commit these crimes and I'm not a racist in any way," he said.

'Unacceptable and disappointing'

Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Martyn Underhill and other councillors attending the meeting distanced themselves from the Conservative councillor's claims.

He later apologised for his "ill-informed" comments and said he was "deeply sorry and ashamed", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The leaders of the three opposition groups on the council wrote to Mr Flower saying the views Mr Pipe expressed were "incompatible with his status as an elected representative".

Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Mr Flower said the comments were "unacceptable and disappointing,"

"As councillors, we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the issues and injustices faced by all members of our communities so we can properly represent them," he said.

The council leader said that Mr Pipe had apologised unreservedly for his remarks.