Solihull councillors caught up in a racism and misogyny storm after an undercover investigation are facing intense pressure to resign.

But if they don't there appears no clear route to force them off the council.

In clips released from the ITV documentary Undercover: A Year in Reform cllrs Alan Feeney and Chris Whelan were shown making racist remarks, while Cllr Whelan was also recorded making misogynistic comments about a fellow Reform candidate.

As the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) previously reported both quit the Reform UK group on Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (SMBC) earlier this week.

Cllr Jamie Campbell, the group's current deputy leader, was also recorded during a conversion on speculation a mosque may be built in the Castle Bromwich ward the three councillors represent.

"There's got to be a way of stopping that, like go and buy some pork chops," Cllr Campbell said.

"We'll bury it in the ground."

There is now growing pressure – including from councillors and MPs across the political divide – for the three councillors to resign.

If this doesn't happen questions are being asked if there is a mechanism to remove them.

A SMBC spokesperson has confirmed to the LDRS they have received complaints about the councillors' conduct.

These complaints could be linked to alleged breaches of the standards of councillor conduct. This is described in SMBC's constitution as the "minimum standards of conduct" required of the authority's councillors which includes:

• Respect in behaviour, speech, and in the written word
• Discrimination – with a commitment to "promote equalities and do not discriminate unlawfully against any person"
• Disrepute – "As a councillor, actions and behaviour are subject to greater scrutiny than that of ordinary members of the public," the constitution says

Complaints against councillors can reach a stage of being investigated before the monitoring officer decides whether the matters going before a hearing panel would be "in the public interest".

A hearing panel would meet within three months of receipt of the investigating officer's report and can recommend sanctions.

There are various sanctions available but crucially the constitution says: "The hearing panel has no power to suspend or disqualify the subject member."

Other routes which have been speculated have included bringing forward a council motion or through a recall petition similar to those used to oust sitting MPs. But both of these are not legally possible.

Under the law councillors do lose their seats if they fail to attend a meeting of an authority for six consecutive months.

The three attended last week's full council meeting with the next scheduled to take place in December.

Cllr Feeney is the current deputy mayor and in line to become mayor of the borough next year.

The councillor also chairs the authority's stronger communities and neighbourhood services scrutiny board.

Cllr Campbell is vice chairman of the resources and delivering value scrutiny board and sits on the governance committee, while Cllr Whelan sits on the planning committee.

Action can be taken to remove them from all these positions.

There have also been calls for Cllr Feeney to resign from Birmingham City Council where he represents Shard End.

The three councillors are yet to respond to requests for comment from the LDRS.

A Reform UK group spokesperson said: "Reform UK Solihull strongly condemns the misogynistic and offensive comments made by councillors Feeney and Whelan, who are both no longer Reform UK councillors.

"Coun Campbell's comment was a joke in poor taste but with no malicious intent.

"It's something that he deeply regrets, and the party will not be taking any further action."