Isle of Wight Council leader defends herself after racist doll row

Lora Peacey-Wilcox has said the dolls are not in her house any more

A council leader has said she "loathes racism" after an outcry from her opponents over a photograph that showed racist dolls at her house.

Isle of Wight Council leader Lora Peacey-Wilcox faced calls to step down after the picture emerged.

In a statement released to the Island Echo, Ms Peacey-Wilcox said the image was taken "a long time ago" and the dolls were no longer in her home.

She added that those who criticised her had been "seeking political advantage".

The photograph in the home of Ms Peacey-Wilcox, leader of the controlling Alliance Group, shows a picture of two dogs - with the offensive dolls in the background.

The toys are a type of rag doll popular until late in the 20th Century, that exaggerated the features of black people in a way that is widely considered to be racist.

Addressing the leader at a recent full council meeting, Conservative councillor Joe Robertson said: "Yesterday a friend of yours put on Facebook you had a collection of dolls for 'as long as they can remember'. 

"As leader of the council, please explain whether those dolls were in your home in November… silence is not an acceptable answer."

Ms Peacey-Wilcox declined to answer any questions on the issue at the time as it "was not a matter about budget or policy, nor something for which this council has responsibility", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The leader has now said the image was re-posted in a private Facebook message in November "about the impact of fireworks on pets".

"Political opponents got hold of [the photo] and doctored it and a sensationalised story appeared locally two weeks ago, and this week in the national press," she added.

"I loathe racism and other forms of discrimination from the pit of my stomach."

Ms Peacey-Wilcox has not responded to any attempts made by the BBC to contact her for comment.