Tory councillors have been condemned for issuing "sickening" congratulations to a former colleague who branded all gay people paedophiles.

Conservatives on Brighton and Hove City Council rallied around Peter Willows on Friday after a judge quashed his public order conviction following remarks he made at a mayor-making reception in May 2006.

Recorder Ann Arnold said police should have considered issuing Mr Willows with a caution for the offence instead of prosecuting him.

Councillor Gill Mitchell, the leader of the opposition Labour group on the council, said she was alarmed after seeing an exchange of emails from senior Tory councillors offering their congratulations.

She said: "I am disgusted by the decision of the court. Nobody is disputing that these awful comments were made by someone in public office and for senior Tory councillors including both deputy leaders of the council to now be lining up and congratulating Peter Willows is totally sickening.

"The Conservative administration seems to forget that they have a responsibility to run the city on behalf of all its people and all its communities."

She called on council leader Brian Oxley to condemn the court decision and distance himself from the congratulatory response of his colleagues, who included deputy leaders Mary Mears and Vanessa Brown.

Councillor Oxley said he would not criticise his fellow party members or dispute the finding of the court.

He said: "I have made it clear from the start that Peter Willows' views are not those of the Conservative party or the Conservatives on the council. However, the court has clearly come to its view and that is where the matter ends. We accepted the initial ruling and now we will accept this one."

He said he believed the congratulations from Conservative councillors did not endorse Mr Willows' original remarks but simply showed their happiness for a 76-year-old colleague who had managed to clear his name.

Coun Oxley said: "Peter Willows had an unblemished career but had the full weight of the law thrown at him for these comments. He was known to the Conservative councillors and they were expressing their responses to the court ruling."

Coun Mitchell said she was extremely disappointed by the council leader's reaction.

Mr Willows resigned from his position as a councillor for Hangleton and Knoll after he was reported to the council's standards board and Sussex Police when he made the remark.

The comment was made in front of councillor Paul Elgood and James Ledward, the editor of gay magazine G-Scene.

When she cleared Mr Willows at Hove Crown Court on Friday Recorder Ann Arnold said Mr Ledward had been looking for a story for his magazine when the conversation took place.

After winning the appeal Mr Willows said his political and charitable work had been ruined by the conviction and he would be retiring.