“VILE” comments made by a Kinver parish councillor about the police and yesterday’s terrorist atrocity in London have left Facebook friends aghast.

Chris McQuillan has spoken of his shock and disgust at posts written on his page on the social media site by councillor Doug Hadlington.

Kinver resident Chris had posted a status update saying he “just wanted to say thank you to all the cops out there” in the wake of the terror attack in Westminster which left many injured and four dead, including a serving policeman - Keith Palmer.

He went on to add: “Every day you walk into situations not knowing what you are about to face. Sometimes it's a distressed old lady who has lost her cat, other times it's a crazed attacker like we saw on the streets of London.

“The pay isn't great, the hours are rubbish and yet you still put your lives on the line to protect others. That's pretty special in my book. Stay safe coppers...thank you.”

But cllr Hadlington’s “insensitive” reply to the post has sparked outrage on the social media site.

The councillor said: “Staffs police have been drafted in to help the enquiries. They have already got 2 results. First they have identified the group responsible... SNP Nicola Sturgeon, and arrested the woman who tragically died falling into the Thames, trying to leave the scene of a crime.”

Halesowen News:

Chris said: “That coming from anybody is pretty dreadful but given that he’s a serving parish councillor in Kinver I find it absolutely disgusting. A significant number of my friends are serving police officers.

“It’s just wrong that a councillor should be saying that.

“People have said it’s disgusting, vile and inconsiderate but he continued to defend his views after I gave him the opportunity to hit the delete button.”

Cllr Hadlington responded on Facebook by saying: “Carry on regardless, Dark humour is a way some people deal with horror. Don't change your life to give in to terrorism.”

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He went on to say he “made no personal slights”, neither had he “made any comments as a councillor” and that he had stopped to observe a minute’s silence this morning in remembrance of the fallen – adding: “ I have family who work near there and 2 are police officers.”

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But numerous Facebook posters were unforgiving – branding his comments a “disgrace”.

Chris said: “I can’t understand why he made the comment in the first place and then, rather than back-track, he just went on and on and on trying to defend his post.

“He should have realised making that kind of comment isn’t really thoughtful. It’s so insensitive.”

The News tried to contact cllr Hadlington before publishing this story but was advised to chase a comment via the parish office, which is only open from 10am to midday on weekdays.

A man answering the councillor’s home phone simply said: “I’m not a councillor at the moment, I’m in the shower.”