The Democratic Unionist Party have suspended a party member found guilty of harassing a gay colleague, it emerged today.
It was ruled that Mr Arthur Templeton, a councillor in Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, had harassed another member of the local authority.
Mr Templeton told Mr John Blair, who sits with him on the area's district policing board, he should be wearing a pink rosette because he was "queer".
Members of the central Policing Board in Belfast today met to discuss whether to discipline the DUP man, but decided to wait until after his period of appeal.
But a spokesman for his party today confirmed: "Councillor Arthur Templeton has been suspended from the Democratic Unionist Party with immediate effect. He will be afforded the opportunity of a hearing with party officers after the Easter period.
"Behaviour of the type Councillor Templeton has been convicted of will not be tolerated within the ranks of the DUP."
PA