Bradford Council deputy leader Simon Cooke today faced a demand for his immediate resignation after he made a Nazi-style salute during a City Hall debate.

Coun Cooke caused fury after he raised his right arm and shouted Sieg Heil at the end of a speech on law and order by German-born Labour councillor Lynne Joyce.

Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood called for the Conservative councillor to quit saying his actions encourage right wing parties like the BNP.

Coun Cooke (Bingley Rural) today "unreservedly" apologised for his outburst but said he had no intention of resigning.

Coun Greenwood said: "I have called for his resignation and I intend writing to the leader of the council and will suggest she needs to take action and that he should consider his position very carefully.

"We are in a position where the BNP is competing in the forthcoming elections and something like this could feature in its agenda. I would say his actions encourage the BNP.

"One of the things it does is feature what it considers to be helpful statements in its literature and this would undoubtedly feature."

Coun Cooke responded by saying: "I did something wrong and I offended somebody. I am making an unreserved apology and I don't want to go into great debates about whether or not this will encourage the BNP.

"It would only do so because the Labour Party have gone to the media about it - and nor do I have any intention of resigning."

Coun Joyce (Keighley South) said she was now considering reporting Coun Cooke to the Standards Board for England which investigates allegations made against council members.

She said: "I was speaking on crime and community and safety and the lack of co-ordination across the Council in ensuring public safety.

"At the end of the speech Councillor Cooke raised his arm and said Sieg Heil. I was bewildered. I don't know why he did it, I am not in the mind of Simon Cooke, I can only assume that he did it because I was born in Germany.

"I will probably make a complaint, it was a dreadful thing to do. There are some people who think insults are fun, but I don't.

"It is the most upsetting thing that has happened to me in the Council chamber in five years on the Council."

A Bradford Council spokesman said its standards committee had received a complaint following Tuesday's incident, but said any investigation would have to be made by the Standards Board for England.

She said: "The committee has received a complaint from a member of the public but it would not be up to it to deal with it."

A spokesman for the Standards Board for England said: "There are currently no investigations against Simon Cooke."