SO how did a sensible and intelligent man like Ken Pollock get himself into hot water over the Boris Johnson controversy?

For reasons best known to himself, the representative for Tenbury on Worcestershire County Council, sent a couple of tweets supporting the former Foreign Secretary, who wrote an article in a national newspaper.

But more than this, Mr Pollock, who holds an economic development portfolio on Worcestershire County Council, repeated comments made by Mr Johnson.

Boris Johnson was writing that he was against legislation as had been introduced in Denmark to prevent women wearing the Hijab and the Burka in public.

This is not apparel much seen in rural south Shropshire or Tenbury and the Teme Valley, so for anyone who is unsure, the Hijab covers the face apart from the eyes and the Burka is a full-face veil.

So far, so good, but as many would say, in character, Mr Johnson attempted a puerile fourth form joke when he said that the clothing made the wearer look like either a ‘letter box’ or a ‘bank robber.’

It is these comments that have caused offence.

Boris Johnson clearly has an agenda. He knows that there will be an election for the leadership of the Conservative party before too long and he would quite like the job.

Therefore, he is keen to endear himself to the right wing of the Conservative party ahead of the contest.

Mr Johnson’s comments drew criticism both from the Conservative party chairman Brandon Lewis and from the Prime Minister Theresa May.

So, we know why Boris Johnson made the remarks and given that silly self-serving comments are par for the course from this man, it might be dismissed as a storm in a tea-cup. But it’s not quite that simple.

Why Ken Pollock decided to get involved is another matter. He has been cleared of any wrong doing, but this does not make what he did right or wise.

Of course, there is the important matter of freedom of speech. People, yes even fools, should have the right to make silly and self-serving comments in the Daily Telegraph, even if someone might be offended.

These remarks were ill considered and unhelpful to community cohesion. If it’s okay for people like Messrs Johnson and Pollock to use this kind of pejorative language, then it may be seen as okay for others with less benign intent.

There are racially intolerant people who will feel emboldened when those, whom we should be able to look up to with respect, liken the hijab and Burka to letter boxes and bank robbers.