A FORMER South Wales town mayor has been reprimanded following a Facebook post comparing Black Lives Matter protesters to monkeys jumping on cars.

Peter Kraus resigned from Pembroke Dock Town Council in June 2020.

Pembrokeshire council's standards committee ruled he had breached the code of conduct by publishing an image “likely to be interpreted as racist”.

The images posted on Mr Kraus' Facebook page showed a group of monkeys on top of a car at a safari park and paired it with a photo of black protesters stood on a police car during riots.

Mr Kraus first claimed he was hacked but later admitted he posted it.

It was also found that his actions could be considered as bringing his office into disrepute.

Members of the county council's standards committee held a hearing in private on Wednesday with deliberations continuing for a number of hours.

Committee chairman Corrina Kershaw announced the decision that it “formally resolved in relation to the one disputed fact that former councillor Kraus and any reasonable person would be aware that the image published on Facebook by former councillor Kraus  was likely to be interpreted racist and/or derogatory to Black people.”

Ms Kershaw added that it was agreed that Mr Kraus gave the impression that he was acting in the role of a member and had failed to comply with the code of conduct under two paragraphs “by not showing respect and consideration for others” and had “conducted himself in a manner that could easily be regarded as bringing his office or authority into disrepute.”

Following the post, Mr Kraus, who was mayor of Pembroke Dock between 2012 and 2013, said: "I have lots of black and white friends around the world.

"I have never in my whole life been racist in any way or form."

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