Tory councillor, 72, ordered to undertake diversity training for claiming golliwogs are 'nostalgic not racist' Cllr Dawn Barnett was found guilty of bringing Brighton and Hove City Council into disrepute with her remarks Cllr Barnett said she thought golliwogs were 'nostalgic, not racist' Dismissed complaints against a city homestore selling golliwog placemats as 'political correctness gone too far' Her comments provoked four 'separate but similar' complaints from three people and the council's Black and Minority Ethnic Workers' Forum A Conservative councillor is to undergo diversity training after offending ethnic minorities with her claim that golliwogs are 'nostalgic, not racist'. Cllr Dawn Barnett was found guilty of bringing Brighton and Hove City Council into disrepute with her remarks. In August, Cllr Barnett said she thought golliwogs were 'nostalgic, not racist'. And she dismissed complaints against a city homestore selling golliwog placemats as 'political correctness gone too far'. However, a panel of three fellow councillors cleared the 72-year-old of failing to treat others with respect and breaching the Equalities Act. The board - sitting in a closed hearing on Thursday - also recommended that all councillors should undergo diversity training in the future. Her comments provoked four 'separate but similar' complaints from three people and the council's Black and Minority Ethnic Workers' Forum. One complainant asked for an apology from Cllr Barnett while another said they wished to see her expelled from the council. Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Barnett said the issue should never have progressed to a hearing and was a waste of taxpayers' money. Cllr Barnett dismissed complaints against a city homestore selling golliwog placemats as 'political correctness gone too far' The hearing was originally scheduled for November 28 but was dramatically postponed when Cllr Barnett fell down a flight of stairs on her way to the meeting. She was carried to hospital wearing a neck brace and on a spinal board. Yesterday's hearing - lasting more than five-and-a-half hours - was also attended by a number of senior council staff. The golliwog was a character in children's books in the late 19th century and usually depicted as a friendly rag doll. Florence Kate Upton struck upon the character and invented the name which at the time had no negative connotations. In 1894 the first story, The Adventures Of Two Dutch Dolls And A Golliwogg, the doll was initially described as 'a horrid sight, the blackest gnome', but turns out in fact to be good, loveable and brave, with a 'kind face'. However, the word 'wog' began to be used as a derogatory word for black people. First popularised during World War II, it was uttered by some British soldiers as a slur against North Africans. By the 1960s, both the use of the term 'golliwog' and the dolls themselves were under increasing attack. In 1983, the Greater London Council banned Robertson's products from its jurisdiction, and in 1988 the character was no longer used in TV advertising. They included a monitoring officer, head of complaints, and head of democratic services. A council report on the proceedings will not be made available to the public until early next week. Cllr Barnett, of the Hangleton and Knoll ward, said: 'They threw out the two most serious charges but said I was guilty of breaching the code of conduct. I am pleased they have let me off on the other two serious charges but very disappointed they have judged I broke the code of conduct. 'I don't think it should have got this far, it was a waste of taxpayers' money and officers' time. I apologised to anyone who was upset by my comments and that should have been the end of it. 'I understand the reasons why they had it behind closed doors but there were a lot of upset people outside the meeting that were angry it wasn't held in public.' A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said the incident highlighted the 'need for training and awareness raising among all councillors on equalities issues'. This will form part of member development in the future, she added.