A local councillor has resigned after a journalist reported controversial comments he had made on his blog about families on benefit.

Luke Hollands, from the Medway Messenger, was doing a routine check on John Ward’s online blog when he saw the Tory’s call for parents on benefits with more than one child to be sterilised.

Luke, (24), spoke to several opposition members of Medway Council who called for Mr Ward’s resignation and even Conservative Central Office issued a statement distancing itself from the comments.

After the original story was published, the leader of the council suspended Mr Ward and he later resigned from his seat.

A by-election will now be held for the vacant ward and the comments have since been removed from Mr Ward’s blog.

Luke’s scoop, published in this week’s Messenger, has been followed up by several national newspapers, Sky and the BBC.

Luke, who has been a reporter for only 11 months, said: “They were going to have an investigation but he resigned.

“I called the leaders of the Tory party in the area and they sort of half-defended him, saying it’s his own blog.

“I don’t really feel guilty, he’s an elected official and so writing that we should sterilise parents on benefits is a bit extreme.

“He’s accusing us of a witch hunt which is obviously ridiculous.

“I was just checking the councillor’s blog and stumbled across it. We were the ones that broke the first story and I’m feeling pretty proud.”