Controversial councillor Brian Coleman has found himself in hot water for the third time this year following allegations he swore at a father-of-two during a recent meeting.

The Conservative politician allegedly called psychiatric nurse Paul Merchant a “tw*t” before telling the Friern Barnet resident to “clear off” in front of a packed Hendon Town Hall.

The alleged misdemeanour is the latest in a series of faux pas by the senior Tory, who is up for election in his London Assembly role on May 3.

Last week the Barnet GLA representative, who receives £120,000 a year in allowances across his political roles, was put under investigation by Barnet Council over claims he misused his members’ free parking permit.

The Totteridge ward councillor allegedly used the badge to park free of charge while attending London Mayor Boris Johnson’s campaign visit to Golders Green earlier this month.

Members are only allowed to use the badges on council business and any use during political campaigning would constitute a breach in the rules.

Cllr Coleman claims he was in the area meeting constituents at the time and that it was a coincidence Boris was visiting– but a video taken of the whole tour shows Coleman posing for photographs and walking around with the Tory mayor.

Earlier this year, the Barnet cabinet member was again in the spotlight when he was found guilty of breaching the members’ code of conduct by sending abrupt emails to members of the public.

The independent hearing concluded that an email response, in which he said one member of the public “would have been a Nazi blackshirt”, was “abusive and demeaning”.

The latest allegations stem from a recorded meeting of the council’s cabinet resources committee on April 4, at which members of the public tabled 56 questions about the closure of the Friern Barnet Library.

Mr Merchant, 51, took his seat in front of the committee before explaining why he felt the council was wrong to close the library.

He finished by telling Councillor Robert Rams, in charge of the borough’s libraries, that he was “fired”.

Cllr Coleman, who is also chairman of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, then looked up at the Carlton Road resident and allegedly made the remarks.

Mr Merchant said: “It was audible to the people at the front of the room. Immediately afterwards people were asking me ‘did he really said that?’.

“I was pretty shocked. He was busy on his phone while I made my point, which is demonstrative of the fact the council doesn’t listen, and then he looked up, called me a tw*t and told me to clear off.”

Barnet Council confirmed it is investigating a member over their conduct at the meeting but was unable to comment further.

Mr Merchant added: “I was shocked that somebody in such high office could act so inappropriately. Two children who had earlier got up to make their points were in the room at the time.

“I think it is outrageous but I’ve since looked online and seen he has a history of being rude. Surely even a Conservative voter would wonder if this man is fit to be in office – he’s something else.

“Even if he didn’t agree with me, I think he should have at least been civil. He will probably try and claim he called me a twit or something similar but I urge anyone to go online and view the video to make their own judgement.”