A Worcester City Football Club player who likened killing illegal immigrants to a video game said it was just friendly banter.

Lee Smith, who plays on the right wing for Worcester City, is now facing an internal club probe over comments he posted on the Twitter social media network on Armistice Day.

The comments sparked an online row, with some branding Mr Smith a racist – a claim he denies.

Mr Smith, aged 28, said he stood by comments on his personal Twitter account that illegal immigrants should leave the country saying, “It is my right to write what I think – but I didn’t mean any offence.”

On November 11, he posted: “Respect to all the heroes 11/11/11 now to all the illegal *****, **** off out of are country all call of duty could become a reality – kill um.”

He later posted that the comment referring to the popular online game was “banter” and said “I’m no racist”, telling the Worcester News “a lot of my friends are black”.

He deleted the post after he was contacted by the News, and has since apologised saying “I did not mean to offend anyone”.

Asked if he was serious about killing illegal immigrants he said “no”.

Mr Smith, who signed for Worcester from Nuneaton Town this season, said that he did not initially know that his Twitter could be read by anyone who stumbled across his webpage.

“To be honest Twitter is quite new to me, and I thought only people like my friends could see it,” he said.

“I am not going to apologise because what I said is what I think, because a lot of the illegal immigrants have taken jobs from people here.”

One poster, Nathan Walker, posting as Hullablue, replying to Mr Smith said: “You are a nasty piece of work who wants to kill people of other nationalities, our forefathers fought against idiots like you.”

Another called the timing of his announcement, on the day when all the dead who fought in Britain’s war are remembered as “tasteless”.

Shortly after speaking to your Worcester News, Mr Smith posted: “I’m no racist or fascist and if anyone was offended then I’m sorry.”

Colin Layland, city’s vice-chairman, said he had not seen the comments and no official complaint had been made.

“I cannot comment yet as this is the first I have heard of this,” he said.

“I will need to investigate what has been said, and speak to the player involved.”

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