UKIP councillor hoped somebody 'slits Gerry Adams's throat'

» Mark Moloney

Sick comments in support of the loyalist death squad murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane also appeared on UKIP councillor's page

NEWLY-ELECTED UKIP Hampshire County Councillor Mark Staplehurst has admitted posting messages on Facebook saying he hoped somebody would murder Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.

Staplehurst, a former British Army soldier who served as a member of the British occupation forces in Ireland, admitted to The Guardian newspaper in England that he had posted the comments in which he said he hoped somebody would "slit Gerry Adams's throat".

Staplehurst told The Guardian he regrets his remarks:

"Of course I wouldn't slit anyone's throat. I'm a salesman. I'm not anything other than a middle-aged old man that's trying to help local people."

Sick comments in support of the loyalist death squad murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane (right)  also appeared on his page. One read: "I'm only sorry they didn't get a few more of the bastards."

The former soldier suggested the comments may have been posted by somebody else when he left his laptop open.

The right-wing UKIP party won a record number of seats during last week's local elections in England and Wales, taking 147 seats with almost 23% of the popular vote.

A number of UKIP candidates caused controversy during the election campaign with one pictured giving Nazi salutes while others were accused of racism and anti-semitism.