When a young Afghanistan war hero appeared before a city council, it seemed the right thing to give him a standing ovation.Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher, 26, had been awarded the George Cross for throwing himself on a Taliban hand grenade to save his comrades.
He survived only because his backpack took the force of the blast.
But to the horror of the rest of the council chamber, while most leapt to their feet to applaud him, two Muslim councillors remained firmly in their seats.
Salma Yaqoob and Mohammed Ishtiaq, from the Respect party, insist that their refusal to clap the Royal Marine was a point of principle.
But following the meeting at Birmingham City Council on Tuesday night, fellow councillors said they had grossly disrespected the soldier.
Conservative Cllr John Lines said: ‘They should be ashamed of themselves. Read more.