A COUNCILLOR who was forced to deny being a Nazi sympathiser was “slandered” by conspirators, a meeting heard.

During the local election campaign earlier this month, Mick Spindler, now Colchester councillor for Shrub End, was accused of making light of Hitler’s regime on social media.

Mr Spindler used a photo of SS-Obersturmbannführer Ludwig Spindler as his profile picture in 2015.

The Second World War Nazi officer fought against British and Polish soldiers who were deployed on Operation Market Garden, which is commemorated in Colchester.

Mr Spindler, however, said the soldier in the photo, which was shared on a private page with friends and family, was, in fact, his great uncle, who served in the German army.

He said: “I shared this image as part of a trend at the time in which people changed their profile pictures to images of their relatives.

“However, I realised this could be misunderstood or seen as inappropriate and so took the post down.

“I understand the need to be more sensitive about my family history in future and fully condemn the barbaric actions of the regime he served.”

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Addressing a meeting of Colchester Council on Wednesday, Sir Bob Russell said the “disgraceful” attack on Mr Spindler had driven him into “Old Testament mode”.

He said: “I have never ever witnessed this sort of behaviour – where a candidate was slandered because he had an uncle who served in the German army.

“Never mind the sins of the father, Mick Spindler is a good man.

“His name was besmirched by people, it was despicable, it should never have happened.

“It was not a lone wolf, it was a conspiracy. We’re told to forgive, the Bible says an eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth – at the moment I’m in Old Testament mode.”