A SPECIAL committee has confirmed that a prominent peer and councillor broke the rules when he calling a member of the public a Nazi.

Pendle Council’s Code of Conduct Hearings Panel confirmed corporate director Philip Mousdale’s decision after an investigation into Waterside councillor Lord Tony Greaves’ comments in the meeting of the Colne and District Council in August .

The Waterside Liberal Democrat councillor called Karl Hopkins, who was filming wearing a Tommy Robinson T-shirt, ‘a Nazi’.

The panel will now publicise the decision but imposes not other penalty.

Complainant and independent Trawden parish councillor Craig McBeth said: “The panel handed out the most lenient of punishments available. The public are outraged at the lack of action.”

Lord Greaves said: “I will not apologise. I expressed a sincerely held political opinion. It was a waste of time.”

Barrowford Conservative councillor Christian Wakeford said: “It was a slap on the wrist. Lord Greaves is a very lucky man.”