A top Labour councillor has apologised after posting a picture of a bottle of Champagne following the death of Margaret Thatcher.
Tina Bourne, deputy leader of the Labour group at cabinet member for housing at Colchester Borough Council tweeted the image, along with the message "chin chin everyone".
But she backtracked after the posts drew a negative response from other Twitter users.
Ms Bourne, who is also a deputy headteacher, subsequently posted: "You are right, it was a crass insensitive thing to tweet, and I should know better. With sincere apologies."Tory politicians in Essex have paid tribute to Lady Thatcher, 87, who died this morning in London following a stroke.
Her Colchester Borough Council colleague, Will Quince, leader of the authority's Conservatives, said he had lost a lot of respect for her.
"It was grossly crass," he said. "I have a huge amount of respect for Tina Bourne but I have lost most of that today.
"Behind the politics we are humans and there is a family that is grieving and I think that should be respected. It was absolutely wrong of (Tina Bourne)."
Mr Quince paid his own tribute to Mrs Thatcher, and said she would be missed by many.
He added: "She inspired so many people and I'm one of them - she came from a hardworking background. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a private function in London.
"She was a three time Prime Minister and our first woman Prime Minister and that achievement alone makes her a great."
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