A BLACK Country UKIP politician who is campaigning to become the West Midlands’ first elected top cop has come under fire for posting in a “disgusting” Facebook thread about Jimmy Savile.

Bill Etheridge, who is in the running to become the first West Midlands Police Crime Commissioner, posted a comment on the social networking site in response to banter about claims the late BBC TV and radio star sexually abused young children up and down the country.

The first post read: “Dear Satan, Plz can u fix it for me for Jimmy Savile to burn for eternity with a massive spike up his ***.”

Another FB poster said: “now then,now then i’d still sit on his knee and have suck on his man cigar :)...”

After which Mr Etheridge joined in with: “How’s about that then?”

Which was followed by a post by another FB user who said: “i’m glad he’s dead, leaves more kids for me”.

Mr Etheridge’s involvement in the banter has sparked outrage in the Black Country where he is busy campaigning ahead of the Police Crime Commissioner election - due to take place on November 15.

Conservative councillor Patrick Harley, who spotted the comments in a news feed on Facebook, said: “This is disgraceful, from a person who wants to run the West Midlands Police to be involved in this kind of banter of the sickest kind.

“Mr Etheridge should apologise and then forget about standing for public office in any form as he is clearly unfit. The guy is a buffoon. There are some things you just don’t laugh about.”

He is now calling on Mr Etheridge, aged 42, from Sedgley, to withdraw from the race for the top police job which comes with a £100,000 a year salary -adding: “He should resign immediately. There must be someone more suitable to stand for UKIP.”

Mr Etheridge, who is married with three step-children, said his comment was merely an attempt to highlight to his friend who started the thread “that they were being a bit silly”.

He said: “My comment was not in any way condoning.”

And he said the original post - which was not on his page - was “just expressing through humour a view that probably a lot of people hold”.

He did, however, express his disgust for the final comment posted beneath his own remark, describing it as “extremely bad taste and poor humour”.

He added: “I don’t know that person. It’s the kind of vile thing people put on Facebook.”

And he said he would be taking advice on whether the poster has broken the law.

The comments are believed to have now been removed and shortly after Mr Etheridge was contacted by the News he posted on his Facebook site: “If the allegations about the late Jimmy Saville are, as it appears, true then I can only say its a great shame he is not still alive to face trial and face a very lengthy jail term.”

It’s not the first time home fittings showroom manager Mr Etheridge, who works at Changing Rooms in Upper Gornal, has found himself in hot water through his Facebooking antics.

The self-styled politician made national headlines last year and was ousted from the Tory party after posing with a toy golliwog on the social networking site.

  • To see further response from Mr Etheridge click here