Councillor condemned for Facebook riot comments

Exclusive by Kathy Bailes

Tory suspended over 'jungle bunnies' slur

A DOVER district councillor and local school teacher has been suspended from the Conservative Party after he posted a racist comment on Facebook.

Maths teacher Bob Frost, who was elected to the district council in May to represent the Conservative Party, wrote the insult, which alluded to the riots in London and included a derogatory term for ethnic minorities -“jungle bunnies” - on August 7, less than 24 hours after trouble flared in Tottenham. .

Cllr Frost, who teaches at Sir Roger Manwood’s school in Sandwich and describes himself as a “right wing libertarian,” tried to amend the insults three days later following a call to him by another Conservative representative.

He posted: “I have just had a phone call that accused me of racism for my above posting. Looking at the dictionary it would appear that the term jungle bunnies is pejorative (sic) and is a racist slur relating to African-Americans.

Racist

“Needless to say I did not mean to use any offensive racist term and was referring to the urban jungle.”

The member for north Deal adds: “As for the bunny bit it was originally animals but I thought people might object to me calling fellow humans this so I chose something I thought was innocuous and also cuddly.”

The “apology” was taken down the same night after a second furious phone call from a Conservative representative.

The 49-year-old has now been suspended from the Conservative party and an investigation into the comments will take place.

A panel of district party members will be set up to look at the posting and hear Mr Frost’s explanation before deciding on what action to take.

Mr Frost has now issued a statement to apologise “unreservedly” for his comments.

He said: “What I said was wrong and I apologise unreservedly.

“I am mortified by the offence that I have caused and have deleted these comments. I am very sorry.” Dover District Council deputy leader Sue Chandler said: “There is no place in our society for this kind of language. We have therefore suspended Cllr Frost from the Conservative Group pending an investigation.”

A senior Tory colleague, who declined to be named, described Mr Frost as a idiot.”
The Frost Files

Previous postings by Deal resident Bob Frost include comments on the Dover Express Facebook page about single mothers.

He wrote: “Well, being in the Market Square you might ask how all the single mothers congregating with their pushchaired spawn are able to afford both their beer and their tattoos. I have a horrible idea I am paying for both.” When a reply from this newspaper pointed out some of those mothers may be from his North Deal ward Mr Frost responded: “While there is a certain demographic which may well fit the description in North Deal it is most unusual for them to waddle so far from their territory."

Bob Frost used to teach mathematics at the Dover Grammar School for Boys.