A CONSERVATIVE candidate has been criticised after making “outrageous” homophobic slurs on social media.

Merv Langdale, a boxer-turned-councillor, who is running for a seat on the New Forest District Council, was blasted by rivals when comments he made on Facebook in 2014 were unearthed.

Posted under a photograph, Mr Langdale, who is a councillor on Fawley Parish Council, made a derogatory statement surrounding a gay man’s sexual preferences.

Mr Langdale, 41, is due to stand in the by-election for the Fawley, Blackfield and Langley seat on the district next week.

In a statement, Mr Langdale said: “I am the first to admit that I am no saint, but the community might know me by sight, by name, or as a friend and those same people know that I am a decent man who will put my heart and soul into serving the people that I have grown up with, irrespective of ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability or gender.

“We may all have things in our past that we might regret, but more importantly we all have a future.”

Mr Langdale was a successful boxer in but his career was cut short after a car crash left him struggling to compete.

The row erupted after rival Craig Fletcher, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said it “was outrageous seeing this type of behaviour in this day and age” after seeing Mr Langdale’s comments.

Mr Fletcher added: “It’s plainly unacceptable for the Conservatives to represent people in this manner.”

It is unclear whether Mr Langdale’s immediate future on the parish council is in doubt and when the Daily Echo attempted to contact it for a comment it was unavailable.

The New Forest East Conservative Association said as it was not aware of the wider context of the allegations, it was difficult make a proper comment.

A spokesperson added: “Clearly the Liberal Democrats must feel that they are heading for a loss if they have had to lower themselves to such desperate tactics, as to actively smear the opposition.

“This is a local election, about local people’s needs and concerns, and that is how Merv will continue his positive campaign.”

The by-election takes place on Thursday July, 26.