COLCHESTER Council has been criticised for allowing a conspiracy theorist who has been regularly accused of antisemitism to perform at Charter Hall.

Controversial author David Icke brought his Everything You Need to Know tour to the venue in November.

Tickets for the show were sold online, with the venue only being revealed after customers had purchased them.

The move has led to questions over whether the performance was an appropriate use for the council-run venue, with Icke’s critics regularly accusing him of being a Holocaust denier and antisemite - claims he has always denied.

Councillor Lewis Barber (Con, Lexden and Braiswick) raised the issue during a meeting of Colchester Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday.

He said: “Whilst I support the intentions of allowing free speech for all, I do not believe a council-owned and publicly-funded venue should be allowing such speakers to be hosted.

“Some of the rhetoric used by David Icke about Zionism and the so-called new world order is disgraceful.

He added: “I would like to express my disappointment the event was hosted by Charter Hall.

“I would like us to investigate how we allow certain speakers to be allowed.”

A former professional footballer and then sports broadcaster, Icke is perhaps best known for his reptoid hypothesis which states a race of reptilian beings called the Archons have hijacked the earth and are stopping humanity from realising its true potential.

Throughout his publishing and public speaking career Icke, who was once a member of the Green Party, has built a cult following but also been regularly accused of holding antisemitic and sometimes neofacist views.

Nick Barlow, councillor responsible for commercial services, said the issue would be raised with officers and discussions would take place on how to create a better vetting system for performers.

“There is an important balance we have to strike,” he said.

“We have created the events company to be able to do that.

“We have to be careful where we as a council get asked to give a thumbs up or thumbs down to performers as we cannot do that for every performer.

“We need to look at this so we have clear parameters.”