AN investigation has been launched into a Trowbridge councillor who caused uproar with his outspoken views on homosexuality.

Trowbridge Town council have referred Ben Biddulph's comments, made in a letter to the Wiltshire Times, to the Standards Board for England.

Wheels were set in motion after town clerk Doug Ross contacted the board and made an official complaint about Cllr Biddulph's conduct, after the 27-year-old branded gays and lesbians as perverts.

The town council disassociated itself from the comments made by the College ward councillor while police added their criticisms.

In the letter, Cllr Biddulph labelled homosexuality as an anti-Christian practice on a par with bestiality and paedophilia.

The Standards Board, set up in March 2001 to investigate breaches of conduct, is completely independent of government.

Ethical Standards officers will contact Cllr Biddulph to inform him of the complaint before launching their investigation.

They have extensive powers to investigate the claims and aim to complete 90 per cent of cases referred to them within six months.

Cllr Biddulph, who missed a policy and resources meeting on Tuesday, said he had no intention of resigning over his views.