A TORY councillor has sparked fury after declaring 'criminality is endemic' in Southall and claiming its Indian community 'exploits their own people in squalid third world living conditions.'

Benjamin Dennehy, who represents residents in Hanger Hill, made the controversial comments on his blog on Tuesday (6) where he said the number of illegal immigrants in Southall was a 'constant on the public purse.'

It was in response to Conservative group leader David Millican's claim at Ealing Council's budget meeting last week that immigration was one of the biggest contributors to the increased demand in school places. 

The New Zealand national has since been chastised by Labour councillors and Southall community members.

Mr Dennehy wrote: "Southall is a constant on the public purse in Ealing. It is home to the worst concentration of illegal immigrants in the UK. It has gambling, drinking, drug, prostitution and crime issues unlike many other parts of London. 

"It is a largely Indian community who say they deplore this behaviour but yet it is that very same community that harbours and exploits their own people in squalid third world living conditions." 

Labour councillor Shital Manro called the comments 'outrageous' and intends to lodge a formal complaint to Ealing Council's board of standards, which monitors the code and conduct of councillors.

"It's very offensive," he said. "He's virtually calling the whole Indian community gamblers, drug addicts and prostitutes and that only in Southall this occurs. 

"I never thought that the Conservatives would stoop backwards. Margaret Thatcher used the same swamping speech in 1987. 

"I came here when I was nine and I have children. I feel, am I always going to be an immigrant and not accepted?"

He added: "In reality the birth rate is going up in Surrey as well not only in Ealing and there's not as many people putting their children in private schools because of the recession.

"There's demand for gambling in Southall because all the poor people are there and they are exploiting them."

Mr Dennehy was not immediately available for comment but finished the blog by saying: "I have said nothing racist or hateful. To some perhaps unpalatable, but not unreasonable but certainly blunt."

Mr Millican said he could not comment until he had seen the blog, adding: "When I spoke it was specifically related to the budget and primary school places and how it is one of several pressures."

Janpal Basran of Southall Community Alliance was equally shocked by the claims, saying: "If this is the general tone, most people in Southall would disagree. Any suburban area will have social problems and many are well-documented in Southall but people do feel a sense of pride in the area.

"I think it's completely wrong to label an area in that way and as someone representing the borough, he needs to be more careful in the choice of language with issues that he might not be familiar with."