An elderly couple who complained in a survey about mess left behind by travellers’ groups have been told their comments will be ignored because they were deemed to be racist.

Rita and Norman Brookhouse filled out a questionnaire created by the South East England Regional Assembly (Seera) on plans to create sites for Gipsy and traveller groups.

But the pensioners from Havant, Hampshire, were shocked when they received a letter from Catriona Riddell, Seera’s director of planning, saying their views would be discounted because they were considered to be discriminatory.

Mr Brookhouse, 73, branded the move “political correctness gone mad” and has gained the support of local Conservative MP David Willetts.

The couple wrote in the questionnaire: “Reasonable charges must be made for use of sites so that local people know the travellers are contributing to the community finances.

“At present travellers give nothing to the community where they stay, indeed they create expense (rubbish clearance, etc, after they have departed).”

Mr Brookhouse said: “I think what we said was fact and I am very upset at the response from Seera which was totally unreasonable.

“They asked us for our views, we have given them a view which I do not consider to be discriminatory but because they did not like it they have said we can have it back.

“This country is supposed to be a democracy – we are all supposed to have a say in what happens.

“To be told that they don’t like what you’re saying and therefore going to discount it is utterly ridiculous.

“I’m a taxpayer in a town where the council has to spend literally thousands of pounds a year clearing up after travellers and we don’t get anything back.”

Mr Willetts said that he had taken up the issue with Seera.

He added: “This is political correctness gone mad.

“It was a consultation on sites for travellers and the Brookhouses have drawn attention to widespread concern about the expense that’s created by having to clear up their rubbish after they depart. This is basically a statement of fact.

“There were no abusive or offensive remarks about gipsies or travellers as an ethnic group. It is completely absurd to suggest it is and undermines the consultation.”

Seera has returned 147 submissions by members of the public to its survey, more than 10% of the 1,129 responses it received to its consultation.

In the letter to the Brookhouses, Ms Riddell said: “We have carefully considered all submissions.

“Unfortunately a number, including yours, contain statements that are based on negative assumptions about the Gipsy, traveller and travelling showpeople communities and/or could reasonably be construed as offensive to such groups.

“While we appreciate that you may not have intended for your comments to be perceived as such, we and our legal advisers consider such comments to be of a discriminatory nature.

“By law we are obliged to return submissions which we consider contain comments of a discriminatory nature.

“So we return your submission and you are advised that it will not be taken into consideration during our decision-making.”

Moira Gibson, Seera’s regional planning committee chairman, said: “Under the Race Relations Act it is against the law for local councils or the Assembly to discriminate against anyone on the grounds of their race, colour, or ethnic or national group.

“Romany Gipsies and Irish travellers are legally recognised ethnic groups.

“As such we have had to discount and return any responses that we and independent legal advisers reasonably considered to be of a discriminatory nature.

“A vast majority of the responses we received were not discriminatory and have been taken into account.”