A LABOUR councillor rapped over “vicious” online comments made about rivals should have been suspended, one victim claims.

Councillor William Stoodley (Lab/West Harrow) was found to have made disrespectful remarks about ex-Tory councillor Marilyn Ashton, formerly responsible for planning, and Conservative Party member Pravin Seedher.

The remarks were made on Cllr Stoodley's blog. In the case of Mrs Ashton he was found to have brought the office of councillor and Harrow Council into disrepute and must now issue her a formal apology.

If he fails to do so by March 9 he will be suspended for a month, a standards hearing ruled on Wednesday last week.

Mrs Ashton said: “Quite frankly that's not good enough. I'm disappointed because I actually don't think he is a suitable person and it's a shame for the people in his ward.

“He is obviously not the sort of calibre, in terms of his behaviour, that one would expect to hold office.

“His attack on me was completely inaccurate, it was vicious, libelous, without a shred of evidence and he's shown no remorse.”

He hit Mr Seedher, of Hawthorne Drive, Harrow, with a barrage of insults and accused him of “regurgitating” Tory propaganda.

Mr Seedher said: “Disgraced Councillor Stoodley ranks as the rudest councillor I have come across. By his own admission he was ignorant of the councillor’s code of conduct and appears to delight in abusing people he disagrees with.”

Cristian Marcucci, a spokesman for the council, said: “The breach stemmed from comments in a blog kept by Cllr Stoodley.

“Cllr Stoodley was found to have failed to treat the complainants with respect and to have brought the Office of Councillor and the Authority into disrepute in relation to one of the complainants only.

“The Committee decided that Cllr Stoodley should send a written apology to former Harrow councillor Marilyn Ashton.

“Failure to do so by 9th March would lead to a one-month suspension from the Council.”