A Conservative councillor has been suspended after comparing gay marriage to marriage with animals in response to a speech made by the prime minister.
James Malliff's comments came after David Cameron came out in support of legalising gay marriage during the Conservative party conference.
He is reported to have tweeted: "There is no doubt the PM is wrong on this issue. We may as well legalise marriage with animals, crude I concede but no apology."
A Conservative party spokesperson said:"These comments are completely unacceptable. Councillor Malliff's local party association has suspended him with immediate effect."
Malliff is a councillor in Wycombe District Council, Buckhamshire and is the cabinet member with responsibility for the big society and localism.
The suspended councillor has since apologised but said gay marriage still needs "to be discussed": "I am deeply, deeply sorry for the offence I have caused," he said. "I was not intending to be offensive. It was much more a comment to try to establish where we draw the line on these things.
"My comment (on Twitter) was there is no doubt the PM has got this wrong and you may as well legalise marriage with animals.
"It sounds terrible now but it was not meant to be anti-gay. I am not anti-gay and I respect people's views on this issue.
"The comments were ill-conceived and crude but I want to know where we are going on this, it needs to be discussed."