A Tory chairman has been suspended after he reportedly called a former mayor a “two faced s***” following a Twitter spat.

An investigation has been launched after Brian Cooke, the Beckenham Town Conservative chairman, allegedly branded a former mayor and councillor Ian Payne a “shameful excuse for a Christian human being”.

Brian Cooke came under fire earlier in May from Conservative colleagues, MPs and opposition after he called for Liberal Democrats to be “exterminated” on Twitter.

As previously reported, Conservative MP Bob Neill said Mr Cooke’s language was not appropriate – and the chairman eventually issued a statement defending his wording as being aimed at the party not people.

Conservative councillor Gareth Allatt branded the comments “not just offensive but downright unacceptable”.

Following a report by Politics Home, it has been suggested that Mr Cooke, in a private letter, allegedly attacked Mr Payne for commenting on his contentious Liberal Democrat tweets.

It’s been reported that Mr Cooke wrote: “I always thought you were a two faced little s***. Now I know you are. And you claim to be have a strong Christian ethos. That’s a complete farce.

“You choose, not for the first time to criticise me in public without even attempting to establish the facts. What a shameful excuse for a Christian human being you really are. You had only to ask, as at the Churchill, and if you had the facts you wouldn’t have jumped in with you enormous boots.

“You also claim to be a Conservative. What utter b****cks. Siding with the LiarDems in this way is plenty of proof you were never a true Tory. But knowing what an awful Mayor you were should have told us that. The fact that you are a big bully pails into insignificance.”

Mr Cooke also allegedly threatened to report Mr Payne for defamation if he did not apologise.

A spokesman for the Conservative Party told this publication: “Brain Cooke has been suspended pending investigation.”

A spokesman for the Bromley Liberal Democrats, who were involved in the original Twitter disupte, said: “Brian Cooke has subjected our party, and several members of our party, to a stream of abuse over the last two months, using language which we find to be unacceptable in any political debate.

“This letter provides evidence that he uses similar tone and language when communicating with his own party colleagues.

“There was condemnation for Mr Cooke’s abusive language towards the Liberal Democrats from several members of the Conservative party, including Conservative MP for Bromley & Chislehurst Bob Neill MP, which we applauded at the time.

“There is no place in politics for people like Mr Cooke.”

Neither Mr Payne or Mr Cooke replied when approached for comment.