Two Labour councillors have resigned their seats, saying they have been "worrying for the safety of our families" after calling out antisemitism in their party.

Richard Ferris and Matthew Mahabadi announced their resignations from Peterborough City Council on Monday, saying they “faced pressure, bullying and alienation by a powerful minority of ‘militant’ elements... to shut up, pipe down, keep schtum about the problem.”

"This bullying and incompetence has manifested itself in whispered threats of deselection and slanderous rants on social media, they said in a joint statement.

"It is not a joke to say that we have at times worried for the safety of our families, given some of the comments made online."

The pair said they had taken “no pleasure in blowing a whistle on the infamous decision made by certain members of the Party Officialdom this year to select a Labour Party candidate who questioned the historical basis of the Holocaust.”

This refers to Alan Bull, a Labour candidate in Petersborough, who posted an article on Facebook headlined: “International Red Cross report confirms the Holocaust of six million Jews is a hoax.”

He was subsequently suspended from the party.

Mr Ferris and Mr Mahabadi added: “Even when we have tried to change things for the better, tried to open dialogue on and challenge the prejudices that sadly exist in our party, we have been blocked from doing so. This is shameful.

“We don’t believe that the actions of this powerful minority represent the true face of the Labour Party. Yet we question why these people are so powerful, why they remain in power, and why they believe they act on behalf of the membership when they make such disgraceful decisions.

"It is as though they believe they are above the anti-racist values of the party. Enough is enough."

They added: "There is as such a tinge of sad relief in standing down, given the alienation and ignorance we have faced, and the failure of our party to take seriously the disease of antisemitism we have diagnosed.”