A CONSERVATIVE councillor has been accused of writing a “fake review” slating a restaurant which handed out 1,000 free milkshakes when Boris Johnson visited Perth.

Trevor Douglas wrote that Gringo’s bar and restaurant was “awful” and a “dive bar” and said: “Staff are terrible. Avoid.”

The Mexican restaurant offered free milkshakes and snacks on July 6 when Tory leadership hopefuls Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt were in town for hustings.

Punters were encouraged to donate to local homeless charity Churches Action for the Homeless and to the Perth YMCA.

The venue employed security to ensure that the milkshakes — the drink dashed recently at a number of right-wing political figures — were not taken off the premises.

Restaurant boss Frank Burger-Seed told the Star: “No-one would ever have been in danger from the milkshakes.

“The Tory councillor gave us a fake review, then we got hundreds of them.

“I’m not particularly political myself, but I am dead against Brexit. Everyone in Perth saw the funny side.”

But he said the business’s social media accounts had received angry comments from other pro-Brexit activists which included death threats and homophobic abuse. “We’ve been called ‘faggots’, ‘sweaty c***s’, ‘Scottish twats’,” he revealed.

Mr Douglas is a Conservative member of North Lanarkshire council. He represents Airdrie which is over 50 miles away from the restaurant.

Mr Burger-Seed, an established Perth businessman who opened the restaurant 18 months ago, said he had chosen to raise money for homeless charities because of the huge rise in homelessness under the Tory government. “100 per cent, that’s the reason we chose the charities,” he said.

Mr Douglas subsequently deleted the Facebook review. Before he did so the restaurant replied in a comment: “You’ve never actually been here, but leaving a fake review because we are giving away free milkshakes is not your finest moment.

“We love to see a Conservative supporting an independent business, rather than creating fake reviews from thin air.

“The Gringo’s team believe that this isn’t about being Tory, SNP, Lib Dem or anything else. It’s about caring for our community.

“A no deal Brexit will not only be poisonous for Perth, but also Scotland and the UK.”

The councillor did not respond to the Morning Star’s email, answerphone and text message requests for comment. North Lanarkshire Conservative leader Meghan Gallacher said it was a matter for the Scottish Conservatives’ central press office.

A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives said: “Trevor Douglas has been reminded of his responsibilities as a councillor. Any restaurant prepared to give away milkshakes in the hope of soaking some political campaigners should be able withstand a little bite-back on social media.”