AN investigation has been launched after sexist comments by female councillors were picked up by microphones at a council meeting.

A recording of the whispered conversation during the meeting of Ryedale District Council in North Yorkshire was put on the local authority's website.

The comments, where one woman says: "Just imagine him with no clothes on," and another female voice replies: "Oh God, I would rather not," came as councillors were casting votes at a meeting earlier this month.

One of the women then notices that the microphones may have caught their conversation and remarks: "Oh, it's flashing everything, wait a moment."

The male council official was then recorded saying: "That's carried unanimously."

It has been suggested the victim of the exchange was the previous speaker, licensing committee chairman and Thornton le Clay councillor Eric Hope, who had previously introduced changes to the authority’s gambling policy.

Cllr Hope said he thought the comments were "very strange".

It remains unclear which women made the remarks at the full council meeting, which was attended by nine female councillors, including its chairman Councillor Val Arnold, and chief executive Janet Waggott.

That section of the recording of the meeting has been deleted from the council's website.

A spokesman for Ryedale District Council declined to state who had made the remarks.

He said: "We are aware that a complaint has been made by a member of the public and are investigating the matter.

"The part of the recording which was inappropriate and caused offence has been removed from the council website .

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused."