Tory Councillor Brian Coleman will foot the bill for his legal defence at a standards tribunal earlier this year.

Former Barnet Mayor Cllr Coleman was ordered to apologise to two members of the public after he accused one of being a “disloyal Israeli” and told another she “would have been in the (Nazi) blackshirts 70 years ago”.

An independent panel found in March that Totteridge representative Councillor Coleman broken the members' code of conduct by sending the abusive emails.

The former GLA member appealed the decision but it was upheld at a first-tier tribunal in August.

Cllr Coleman has refused to abide by the August tribunal's orders, claiming he is “under no obligation” to apologise.

Barnet Council confirmed it would only cover the legal costs of a members' appeal hearing if they were successful.