'Silly' Nazi email sent by East Riding councillor after drinks

David Rudd (left) sent the email to Peter Hemmerman after failing to oust him as mayor

An email suggesting a mayor had Nazi ancestors was "silly" and was sent after several glasses of wine, a councillor has said.

David Rudd, who sits as a Conservative on the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, sent the email to Market Weighton's mayor, Peter Hemmerman.

Mr Rudd has been suspended by the Conservative group for two months.

Mr Hemmerman, who has German ancestors, said he did not think the suspension was much of a punishment.

The email was sent after Mr Rudd signed a letter, posted on social media, calling on the Yorkshire Party's Mr Hemmerman to resign.

'Were ancestors Nazis?'

"One night after a couple large glasses of wine I decided to send him a private email," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"I said, 'Dear Peter, I wonder if you could tell me if any of your ancestors were members of the Nazi Party?'"

He said he had never got on with the mayor, but he did not consider himself to be a racist, and that the email was a "cheeky dig".

"It was a silly and stupid thing to do, I accept that. It was a flippant comment," he said.

Peter Hemmerman is mayor of Market Weighton

The mayor said he had no choice but to complain to the Conservative group about the email.

He said: "My ancestors were German but they first arrived in London in the 1820s. I think he was trying to imply that I act like a dictator."

He welcomed Mr Rudd's suspension from the Conservative group, although he remains a councillor.

"That doesn't seem like much of a punishment to me," Mr Hemmerman said. "I don't think he should be allowed to represent the town anymore."