A meeting organised by an MP will stoke up tension between travellers and residents, according to a councillor.

Brighton and Hove City Council Green councillor Ben Duncan claims a meeting organised by Conservative MP Mike Weatherley on Friday could lead to hate crimes against travellers.

Hove MP Mr Weatherley defended his right to hold the meeting and argued that it was the Green-led council’s policies that are damaging the traveller cause.

Coun Duncan, cabinet member for communities, equalities and public protection, wrote on his blog that he was disappointed that politicians were inflaming the situation.

The blog was written in response to Mr Weatherley’s invitation to “any resident who has concerns about the Green Party’s soft stance on the illegal invasion of our parks by travellers” to attend a meeting on Friday between 6pm and 8pm at Patcham Community Centre, in Ladies Mile Road, Brighton.

Coun Duncan wrote: “Residents have got an absolute right to freely discuss any matters of concern to them – especially when it concerns public policy – and politicians have an absolute right to facilitate those discussions by hosting public meetings.

“But such discussions must remain lawful – and politicians must be quick to stamp on any hate speech, racist mutterings or incitement to violence.

“And when politicians are guilty of that themselves, the police must take swift, decisive action.”

Coun Duncan added that he feared that such “hate speech” could lead to physical violence against travellers.

In response to Coun Duncan’s blog, Mr Weatherley said: “By again suggesting that the people of Patcham are somehow racist, Green councillors are continuing to severely damage the traveller cause.

“The mature stance is to show compassion by helping travellers to buy their own smaller sites in and around the city, while putting a stop to illegal encampments.

“Instead, those Greens want to force travellers into a publicly funded ghetto on the environmentally unique South Downs National Park. As usual, the extreme ideological views of the Greens are just annoying everybody.

A Sussex Police spokeswoman said: “We are considering what police involvement if any we will have at the meeting.

“Inciting racial hatred is a serious offence which we always investigate and take appropriate action.”