A FORMER British National Party politician has responded after concerns were raised about his tutoring art students.

An anonymous student at Bournemouth and Poole College recognised former BNP candidate and councillor Richard Barnbrook during a class at the North Road campus in Poole last month.

Contacting the Daily Echo, they said: "I am a student at the college North Road site and recognised a new art tutor as Richard Barnbrook, a former BNP elected delegate 2010, and I find it a very offensive appointment."

In a statement, the college said Mr Barnbrook - who is an internationally-exhibited artist - had not been formally hired.

The statement said: "Mr Barnbrook taught Year 2 graphics for three hours on September 29.

"He is not teaching with us, he is not and has never been an employee of the college but was placed with us via a national teaching agency for that short period of time."

A spokesman said he would not be working at the college again.

Mr Barnbrook, who retired from politics four years ago, said he was "more than qualified" for the post and always "complied fully with professional diversity and equality ethics".

He said he had been informed by the college they were using maths and geography staff to cover art classes, and that there were "no complaints" from the students during his classes.

"The fact that one student feels that they have an issue with my previously held political affiliation should be neither here nor there," he said.

"Unfortunately, the educational welfare of the majority of the class has now been compromised in order to appease the politically correct sensitivities of one anonymous individual.

"Since when has it been a grounds for dismissal to hold a particular viewpoint, particularly when this opinion has not been expressed during the course of one's work?

"Sadly for our society, once so protective of individual freedom of expression, it would now seem that tolerance is now subject to the whims of political correctness.

"What a tragedy, not just for myself and the students concerned, but for all of us."

Mr Barnbrook was the leader of the BNP group on Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council for two years and later stood as an independent after being expelled from the party in 2010.

He trained at the Royal Academy of Arts in the 1980s and works in a wide variety of media including paints, etchings, sculpture and film.

Earlier this year he served briefly on the committee for Boscombe Forum, and last year he unveiled a scheme for a large subterranean art gallery with 20-30 affordable community studio spaces under the former IMAX building.