A councillor has played down as "banter" remarks he made at a meeting about a fellow member "liking blondes".

We reported recently how Cllr Mike Worthington told a committee chairman and the female councillor elected as his deputy, "No kissing and cuddling, I know you like blondes."

Council leader Cllr Paul Roberts, who runs the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, scolded his Tory colleague, telling him, "You'll get shot one of these days."

Independent Cllr Linda Maylon, who was the apparent subject of the remark along with Conservative Cllr Ben Emery, said she hadn't heard it at the time, but played down the comment.

But she described it as "silly", adding: "Women are stronger than that. I'm not fazed by silly remarks.

"I give as good as I get. If I'd heard it I would've answered back to him."

When the remarks were reported on Twitter, several politicians from across the political spectrum spoke up about comments – with one describing an occasion when her gender was the subject of a crass remark during a Zoom meeting.

Ex-Tory Alsager town councillor Sue Helliwell, said: "I stood up in a Zoom council meeting to close the window and as the camera was at the height of my boobies, one male councillor said, 'that is a better view'.

"Not sure if I should have laughed or cried."

Another Alsager town councillor, Cllr Jane Smith from the Animal Welfare Party, tweeted: "OMG that's awful."

Some male councillors also weighed in, with Stoke-on-Trent Labour councillor Andy Platt questioning whether the comment might be a breach of the Nolan principles of standards in public life.

And Lichfield Labour Cllr Dave Robertson said: "Absolutely reprehensible – just because inflation is back to the 70s, it shouldn't mean we need to bring back these attitudes."

Responding to enquiries about the remark, made at the Moorlands Partnership Board meeting at Staffordshire District Council yesterday afternoon, Cllr Worthington said to the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "If you can't have a bit of banter with friends, I'm afraid it's a sad day in politics.

"So I think you need to get a life of your own and clear off, thank you very much."

He followed his remark up with a text message, saying: "Your sort of journalism does no credit to the profession. If you can't have a bit of banter with colleagues it's a sad day. Don't ever contact me again."