Councillor suspended by party pending hate crime probe
- Published
Mr McAughtrie is a senior Labour councillor with the Dumfries and Galloway authority
A senior Labour councillor in Dumfries and Galloway has been suspended from the party pending an investigation into an alleged hate crime.
Tom McAughtrie is believed to be the focus of a complaint about an alleged homophobic post on social media.
Scottish Labour confirmed he had been placed under administrative suspension.
It bars him from holding office or representing the Labour Party, and from the Labour group on Dumfries and Galloway Council.
A party source said it was important that the allegations were investigated and that there was no place in the party for homophobia.
Police Scotland has confirmed that a 65-year-old man from Dumfries is the subject of a report to the procurator fiscal in relation to the Communication Act of 2003.
Mr McAughtrie has been a councillor for more than 30 years and stood for parliament in the Dumfries constituency in 1983.
He has declined to comment on the investigation.