A Kent MP has been criticised for "failing to acknowledge" major local Black Lives Matter marches.

Two large, peaceful BLM protests have taken place in Thanet this month - the first seeing hundreds march from Cliftonville to Margate, while the following weekend, similar numbers marched from Ramsgate to Broadstairs.

But South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay has failed to mention these marches in his online blogs, prompting Labour councillor Aram Rawf to accuse the MP of being “blind” to racism in Thanet.

“Mr Mackinlay has commented publicly about the marches and demonstrations in London triggered by the killing of George Floyd in America,” said Mr Rawf, a district councillor and a Broadstairs town councillor. "But he hasn’t said a word about the protests taking place in his own backyard.

“These are the biggest anti-racism protests Thanet has ever seen. Can he really not be aware of them? Or is he all too well aware and just trying to deny they’re happening so he doesn’t have to do anything about them?”

Mr Rawf says he feels the Conservative MP is playing down concerns about racism in the area.

“Mr Mackinlay has written that he’s had very few cases of racism reported to him,” he said. “This is an incredible statement. Has he actually spoken to the local police? Has he actually spoken to local schools? Has he actually spoken to ethnic minority groups?

“Has he forgotten that during his parliamentary campaign in 2015 the first 'White Life Matters' demo attended by known members of racist groups in Europe was held in Thanet?”

Cllr Rawf, who is from a BAME background, added: “Racism is widespread in Thanet. I know this from my own personal experience.

“Mr Mackinlay is blind to racism here. When will he open his eyes to something that is causing pain and suffering to so many of his constituents?”

Mr Mackinlay has commented publicly on the national BLM demonstrations triggered by the killing of George Floyd in America.

In a post on his website yesterday, he wrote: "Much debate has followed about which statues should be pulled down, books burnt and freedom of thought erased.

"Is such an outpouring of hate against our own country really linked to an appalling event of police murder in Minneapolis? I find the connection abstract at best."

He went on to praise peaceful protests as a celebration of free speech, before suggesting the same level of free speech is not afforded to "the rest of us in passing comment or thoughts that don’t accord to this so-called equality-minded crowd".

Cllr Rick Everitt, Labour leader of Thanet District Council, said he found the MP's remarks "disturbing".

"Craig Mackinlay is now publicly linking the Black Lives Matters campaign to book-burning and freedom of thought being erased," he said.

"His approach is to ignore these local demonstrations, because they don't fit his narrow understanding of our community, and he tries to discredit the wider campaign by linking it with intolerance.

"He may not agree with the recent Thanet protests but he ought at least to acknowledge their scale and legitimacy rather than point elsewhere.

"I find his approach disturbing and inadequate. It is Mr Mackinlay who is trying to edit history here but the issue of racial injustice will not go away just because he won't acknowledge it."

Mr Mackinlay has hit back at the accusations, claiming neither Cllr Rawf nor Cllr Everitt has raised problems of racism in the community, during his five years in office.

He added: "Nor, I note, do their statements reference any specific incidents or particular problems.

"I think my local residents will be horrified to learn that at least two of their Labour representatives think that Thanet is a hotbed of widespread racism.

"I look forward to receiving a full and comprehensive dossier from Cllrs Everitt and Rawf on the scope and scale of the problem they claim we have in South Thanet and will undertake to share their evidence with Kent Police, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Government Ministers including the Home Secretary and anyone else who needs to see it.

"As I have always said, where there is a problem, it is our job to root out the cancer of racism wherever it takes place."

Read more: All the latest news from Thanet