Coun Joe Hayward has served as a councillor since 1999.

A Barnsley Labour councillor is facing a code of conduct complaint after allegedly saying Nazi-adopted phrase ‘Ich Heil’ at a council meeting.

At a full council meeting on July 16, Deputy Mayor Michael Davies said: “I heard Councillor Hayward make the remark ‘Ich Heil’. Given the historical association of that phrase with Nazi ideology I found it deeply offensive and wholly inappropriate to hear in this council chamber.

“There is no place for language of that nature in public life, and I hope all members will agree that such comments have no place in our democratic debate.”

It was allegedly said during the meeting as part of a discussion about one of Reform UK councillor Andy Arnold’s tattoos.

After he was elected in the local elections in May, photos appeared online showing him with a swastika tattoo visible on his arm.

But Andy Arnold’s wife and fellow Reform UK councillor, Theresa, has claimed the tattoo was a “misunderstood” Buddhist peace symbol.

Barnsley Council has confirmed that a code of conduct complaint has been received regarding a Labour councillor saying ‘Ich Heil’ at the meeting.

The phrase ‘Ich Heil’ is also known as ‘Sieg Heil’, a German phrase meaning ‘Hail Victory’.

It became an adopted slogan of the Nazi Party.

Coun Joe Hayward said he was misheard by the Deputy Mayor.

“The conversation was that there have been extremists in history who wore swastikas and used to speak the words ‘Sieg Heil’, and people need to be careful of the symbols they wear and the words they use because people will find them offensive.

“Clearly the member got this wrong in using the words ‘Ich Heil’ and the conclusions he drew from that. Equally it appears he is trying to make political capital from this which is unfortunate but not surprising,” he said.

A spokesperson from Barnsley Labour Group said: “We are aware that a formal code of conduct complaint has been lodged with the monitoring officer. It is right and proper that the standards process is allowed to reach its conclusion. We will not be commenting further at this time.”