Southend Council has banned people from its Facebook page after they made transphobic comments just a week before the town hosts its first Pride parade in 15 years.

The authority banned the commenters after they made remarks on the council’s profile picture featuring the rainbow flag.

It came days before the town launched Southend Pride.

Comments on the post came from members of the LGBTQ+ community who are opposed to the inclusion of transgender people.

They spoke out against transgender people being welcomed at the march next weekend.

Southend Council put a post online announcing it had banned the people from its page on Wednesday.

But the post came under fire after it identified and condemned the actions of a group of activists who had protested at London Pride.

The group of self-described gender-critical lesbian activists staged the protest against the inclusion of transgender people within LGBTQ+ parades.

Southend Council later edited out the reference to the group after uproar on social media.

The Critical Sisters group, who supported the Get the L Out campaign, took to Twitter to slam Southend Council’s original statement branding it “partisan and sexist”.

They said the post “disregards the rights and struggles of lesbians”.

Organiser of Southend Pride, Dan Turpin, has spoken out in support of the council’s decision to ban the users and share in solidarity.

He said: “I think it’s really supportive and I respect the council enormously for making that decision.

“It’s really disappointing that people from within our community are trying to alienate others, it doesn’t make any sense and it is absolutely not in the spirit of what we are trying to achieve.”

“We are about promoting inclusivity and coming together as a town to say that all are welcome here, whoever they love and however they identify.”

Leader of Southend Council, John Lamb, said: “The council has a legal duty – one which we take very seriously – to show due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and people who do not.

“We stand by our actions and reiterate that Southend is open and welcoming to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Southend Pride was officially launched on Saturday with an opening party at the Railway Hotel, and will culminate with the Southend Pride Parade, taking place in the High Street on July 21.

On Friday July 13 Southend Mayor Derek Jarvis led a flag raising ceremony at the Civic Centre in Victoria Avenue.

He said: “Even today, when LGBT people in the UK have greater rights and social acceptance than ever before, we must recognise that there are still people within the community who are persecuted, mocked and attacked simply for their sexual orientation or their gender identity.

“Neither should we forget that gay relationships are still criminalised in over 70 countries and punishable by death in ten of those.

“Southend Pride is an act of solidarity with LGBT people in our town and across the world and I am delighted to see its return in Southend.”

For more information, visit www.visitsouthend.co.uk.