A CONSERVATIVE councillor has sparked outrage after being caught sending a series of offensive and racist jokes by text message.

Cllr Richard Powell – a 24-year-old Westbourne and West Cliff councillor and language school consultant – was only last month the election campaign manager for Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns.

Now his political career hangs in the balance after a series of crass jokes – which he received from a friend and then forwarded from his personal phone over a period of more than six months – were passed to the Daily Echo.

Cllr Powell issued a statement saying: “I am truly sorry for the part I have played in forwarding texts on to personal friends.

“It was never my intention to cause offence or harm to anyone and I deeply regret acting so foolishly. I now realise that what I did was wrong and I apologise unreservedly to anyone I may have offended.

“It is my intention to refer myself to the standards committee immediately.”

• See Tuesday’s Daily Echo for the full story.