Councillor Tunde Ojetola has joined his Conservative colleagues in accusing the Thurrock Ukip group of racism as the race row over the Deputy Mayor vote deepens.

The beleaguered councillor spoke this morning of how he feels his skin colour may have been a factor in his controversially losing the vote to become Deputy Mayor on Wednesday night to Labour’s Cathy Kent.

The lost vote is the fifth time Mr Ojetola has been overlooked to be Mayor or Deputy Mayor.

Speaking exclusively to the Gazette, Mr Ojetola said: “Is it a coincidence? The thing is that I have been in this politics business a long time and I know how it works, I am pretty thick-skinned. Ukip seem to be taking a stand about immigration and things like that and by ‘coincidence’ they couldn’t find it in themselves to support me to be Mayor.

"This is not the first time it has happened. Maybe it’s because of the colour of my skin - because I am black. Really, I can’t say anything more than what it appears to be.”

Ukip group leader Graham Snell responded to the allegations, saying: “Yet again Cllr Ojetola plays the racism card when the reasons we did not support him had nothing to do with racism. I would like to remind Cllr Ojetola that we have only been a force on the Council since 2014 so I am at a loss to see how we can be blamed for him not becoming mayor in 2010 or, indeed in 2011 - 2013.

"I would also like to reiterate that there was no agreement made at the meeting on the 21st for Cllr Ojetola to be waived through as deputy mayor.”

Thurrock Conservatives said they were gobsmacked on the night when Mrs Kent was nominated, and accused Labour and Ukip of having broken a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ after claiming the three party leaders had met on May 21 and agreed the nominations for Council Leader, Mayor and Deputy Mayor.

They claim the three leaders agreed for Conservative Councillor Ojetola to be Deputy Mayor, Labour Councillor John Kent to be Leader and Labour candidate Sue Gray to be Mayor.

Conservative leader Rob Gledhill said he was “fuming” following Wednesday nights events.

After winning Wednesday’s vote 28-19, Mrs Kent took ownership of her medallion and said: “This is unexpected so I'm not really prepared!”

Councillor Ojetola added: “There’s a lot going on behind the scenes between Ukip and Labour – who knows what deals have been made? But one thing is clear - the Black Minority Ethnic community in Thurrock is growing, so we need to learn to work together. And I will of course continue to serve the people of Chafford Hundred, who elected me to be their representative, I won’t bury my head in the sand and I’m not going to hide away. I’ll be thick-skinned about it.”