The wife of a Conservative councillor has been charged after she called for hotels housing asylum seekers to be set on fire.

Lucy Connolly, 41, a childminder from Northampton and who is married to Raymond Connolly, was charged by Northamptonshire Police with one count of “publishing written material to stir up racial hatred”.

Ms Connolly, who is in custody, said she had acted on “false and malicious” information.

She will appear at Northampton Magistrates’ Court via video link on Saturday.

Ms Connolly was first arrested on 8 August and then bailed, pending further inquiries.

Northamptonshire Police re-arrested her on Friday and she was subsequently charged.

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