Tory councillor sacked over 'joke'

A Conservative councillor has been sacked after making a joke about the shooting deaths of two policewomen.

David Stephenson was removed from his post on Erewash Borough Council in Derbyshire after his comments about Pcs Fiona Bone and Nicola Hughes, who were killed last week in a gun and grenade attack in Greater Manchester.

Chris Corbett, leader of the council, said he was "appalled" to hear about the comments which Mr Stephenson had made in front of the wife of a serving police officer, and had removed him from his post.

Mr Stephenson said: "If you get 100 points for shooting one policewoman and 200 points for shooting two policewomen, how many do you get for shooting a lawyer?"

The woman told her husband, a sergeant with Nottinghamshire Police, about the comment, and he complained to the council.

The sacking comes as the row continues over comments reportedly made by Conservative chief whip Andrew Mitchell to two police officers in Downing Street.