Ukip councillor Dave Small suspended over claims he made racist and homophobic comments on Facebook

He allegedly called homosexuals "perverts" in a Facebook post last year

A delegate sporting a Union Flag tie attends the UKIP annual party conference at Central Hall, Westminster on September 21, 2013 in London, England. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Ukip has suspended one of its new councillors days after he was elected, following claims he made racist and homophobic comments on a social media website.

Dave Small took the seat for Church Hill ward on Redditch Borough Council having won 665 votes, following Thursday's local elections which saw Ukip came out on top.

Mr Small now faces a formal investigation, the party said on Tuesday.

The action comes after Mr Small reportedly wrote on Facebook in February 2013 that gay people are “perverts”, and should not be allowed to marry. He also allegedly wrote that immigrants from Mali are “scroungers” would soon arrive in the UK from as a result of a range of coalition government policies.

In November 2012, Mr Small reportedly complained he could not use a racist term, and in June that year compared foreign languages to “jabbering in an alien voice”, adding that Somali and Pakistani men “wear their pyjamas”.

A Ukip spokesman said: “Dave Small has been suspended with immediate effect, pending a disciplinary hearing to determine the final outcome.”

The Facebook page has since been deleted, and Mr Small has not issued a comment on the allegations, BBC News reported.

Redditch Borough Council told the broadcaster that as the alleged comments were believed to have been made before he became a councillor, it was not seen as a matter for the authority.

Allegations put against Mr Small are the latest in a string of controversies to plague the party, including claims of racism, homophobia and sexism put against various Ukip members.

Additional reporting by PA