HATE mail on official York Labour Party notepaper has been sent to a former party supporter who burned his membership card in protest against the war in Iraq.

Gordon Campbell-Thomas torched his membership card after the war started, saying he could not support UK involvement without UN backing.

He has since received the letter, signed "despicably yours, your former comrades", which claims Mr Campbell-Thomas would have been expelled from the party anyway if he had not resigned. The range of insults in the letter include: "Your incessant self-seeking publicity machine is nauseating in the extreme... It seems there is no bandwagon on to which you will not jump to put yourself in the spotlight. You are the biggest self-righteous, egotistical smug creep we have ever had the misfortune to suffer in the local party...

"...We never want to see your ugly face again. You are out - stay out - do us all a favour and p*** off completely."

Mr Campbell-Thomas said: "It has come out of the blue. The thing that concerns me is that it was written on paper bearing the official insignia.

"In some ways it gave me a laugh. I am bearing in mind it arrived on April 1."

Since burning his card Mr Campbell-Thomas has declared his intention to stand as an Independent candidate in the Hull Road ward.

"I am concerned about the community and the community's needs," he added.

Liberal Democrat leader Steve Galloway said: "It is sad the Labour Party is so obviously disintegrating in such a public and confrontational way. This reinforces our view that it is time for a change in the way York is run."

Tory leader John Galvin said: "As far as I am concerned anyone that sends this sort of thing is not worthy of consideration. It is cowardly, pathetic and immature."

Dave Ellis, chairman of York Labour Party, condemned the letter and the person behind it.

He said: "To my knowledge no official in the party has had anything to do with it. It sounds like it's something someone has put together themselves. If we find it is something that has been produced by a member of the party then clearly there would be a full inquiry."

Updated: 11:14 Monday, April 07, 2003