Brighton's Green Party councillors have been accused of being communists over their recycling and police plans.

Councillor Ayas Fallon-Khan branded Green member Ben Duncan "the copwatching communist from Kemp Town" as he criticised him for his actions while representing the local authority on Sussex Police Authority.

Conservative Coun Fallon-Khan, the council's deputy leader, questioned the way the Green Party coun councillor approached his role on Sussex Police's supervisory body.

Coun Duncan, who has described himself as a proud socialist, said the attack was prompted by annoyance among the city's Tories that they did not have a representative on the authority.

He said the number of Green councillors on the council meant they were entitled to have a representative on the county-wide body, which came at the expense of other parties in the city.

Tory councillor Lynda Hyde also responded to Green proposals to set strict new recycling targets for the city by saying: "It's communism".