Suspended 'Facebook comments' councillors reinstated by Labour Party

Two Luton councillors suspended by the Labour party over alleged comments made on Facebook, which are being investigated by police, have been reinstated.

Naseem Ayub and her husband Mohammad Ayub, were suspended in December. They claim their accounts had been hacked.

Bedfordshire Police said they were continuing to investigate "all aspects of the case".

This includes, the force said, both the comments and the hacking claims.

No arrests have been made.

The couple were being investigated by Labour's National Executive Committee over allegations of making inappropriate comments on Facebook.

Labour have not confirmed the nature of the comments.

The pair remained councillors and were allowed to attend meetings as independents while their Labour membership were withheld.

An East of England Labour Party spokesperson confirmed the suspensions had been lifted.

Bedfordshire Police are investigating the postings under the act which covers the sending of malicious messages and/or inciting racial hatred.

Mrs Ayub, an executive member of the council, who was also a prospective MEP candidate, has represented the Biscot ward since 2011.

She told the BBC she had been formally notified by the Labour Party that the pair had been reinstated which she took to mean the allegations had been cleared by the party.

Mr Ayub has been a councillor for the same ward since 2007.