A newly-elected councillor has apologised for retweeting a photoshopped image of Auschwitz after critics branded her "disgusting" and "outrageous".

Labour councillor Bernadette Fisher, who represents the Gorrell Ward in Whitstable, shared the image on Twitter yesterday which shows Conservative political strategist Linton Crosby outside the gates of the concentration camp.

The anti-austerity tweet - saying #EndAusterityNow - was posted by the Kim Jong Camer-Un account, which compares Prime Minister David Cameron to North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

It talks about having a "great idea on how to reduce the welfare budget".

At least 1.1 million prisoners died at Auschwitz - the infamous Nazi death camp, part of Hitler's final solution to exterminate Jews.

Cllr Fisher, of Thurston Park, said: "I have had a couple of tweets about it and people have picked it up.

"The point of the tweet is to see the consequences of austerity are grave for people.

"It's a pretty extreme message but I think that if you ignore the needs of the poor what are we doing to them?"

Cllr Fisher's retweet has been attacked by political website Guido Fawkes, sparking criticism from social media users.

She later tweeted to say sorry, writing: "I apologise for any offence caused by my previous retweets."

Cllr Fisher added: "They are trying to make a big thing of it but I am confident of the morality behind my decision to retweet it.

"I am not intending to offend, I am intending to make a political point.

"I am not intending to offend, I am intending to make a political point" - Bernadette Fisher

"I feel very strongly about this and I think it's not good enough that all we are doing is dealing with the deficit.

"The danger is that you systematically destroy those things that make us so proud.

"I have all kinds of people tweeting back and they are all on the right.

"Whoever they are, they are doing it for a political reason.

"They are doing it to have a go at a Labour councillor and that's what happens when you are doing a tweet and put yourself out there."

University of Kent student Samuel Betz criticised Cllr Fisher for retweeting the image.

He said: "I think it's disgusting. It is beyond repair to try and use the Holocaust to score political points.

"It's just outrageous. I was speechless when I saw it."

Cllr Neil Baker, chairman, Canterbury Conservative Association, branded the tweet vile.

He said: "I am disappointed by a vile and disgraceful comparison of the Conservative government's policies to those enacted by Nazi Germany during the darkest moments of our history, when millions were sent to death for no other reason than who they were.

"I have full faith in the internal process of the local Labour Party and I am sure they will take whatever action is needed to ensure residents know their councillors will do their best to serve them, rather than sling outrageous remakes around which offend so many people.

"Political attacks come with the position, rightly or wrongly, but using the genocide of millions to make a point is so disgusting and outrageous.

"I am sure people who support any of the political parities, or none, will be hoping for a quick resolution."