Reform suspends councillor over alleged comments

REFORM UK has suspended a Durham County Councillor following backlash over alleged social media posts targeting asylum seekers.

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It is believed comments from an account said to belong to Crook councillor Paul Bean may have violated Civil Service neutrality guidelines given his role at the Home Office.

The recently elected councillor disclosed his position as a civil servant with the Home Office - the Government department responsible for handling asylum and immigration applications - in the council’s register of interests.

“I work as an Asylum Decision Maker for the [Home Office] and I can tell you with authority that 93% of asylum seekers to the UK are men between 18-35 and 92% of them are refused asylum,” one post reads. It adds: “The truth is the vast majority of asylum seekers are actually economic migrants abusing the asylum system.”