A senior councillor hit back this week after a political opponent reported him for making what he claimed was a racist comment at an official meeting.

Councillor Morris Bright was reported to the Commission for Racial Equality and the borough council's monitoring officer last week by Councillor Frank Ward.

Mr Ward claimed Mr Bright questioned his ability to represent Borehamwood residents because of his Scottish upbringing at a meeting of Borehamwood Community Partnership. He has requested that the commission investigate the incident and has asked the council to establish whether Mr Bright has breached its code of conduct.

But Mr Bright, who is Jewish and represents Elstree on the council, said: "I am shocked and deeply saddened by these outrageous allegations.

"To accuse me of racism when me and my family lived in fear after a swastika was daubed on my front door sickens me," he said.

Mr Ward, the leader of Hertsmere's Labour group, refused to comment on the situation, but reflected on the leaking of letters to this newspaper.

"It shows the depth of anger and resentment among other members of the council when someone is prepared to breach the privacy of a confidential letter."

Mr Bright claimed that the comment he made during the meeting was simply a reference to a joke which he and Mr Ward had shared shortly before then.

July 4, 2002 17:30