The chairman of governors at a Haringey secondary school compared a suspended trade unionist to a leading Nazi.

Gerard Kelly, a governor at Woodside High and former member of Haringey’s Education Commission, suggested Haringey NUT secretary Julie Davies had “probably been the biggest impediment to ed [education] in Haringey since Herman Goering”.

Mr Kelly is also a former editor of the Times Education Supplement.

Ms Davies, who has been an elected union official for more than a decade, has recently been suspended by Haringey Council.

The NUT says the suspension is "unlawful" and an "attack on the unions".

When challenged on his remark, which was made on Twitter last week, Mr Kelly replied that Goering had “bombed quite a few of the schs [schools], tho [though] arguably did less damage than Julie.”

He added: “Approx 5 bombs were dropped on Haringey in the Blitz and I reckon 5 schs [schools] were badly affected. Do you think JD disrupted more or fewer?”

Mr Kelly appears to have since deleted his tweets, but they are still visible on the tweet-curating website Storify.

A commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering is widely credited with founding the Gestapo.

Woodside High, where Mr Kelly is a governor, has not yet responded to requests for a comment.

The Independent has been unable to contact Mr Kelly.

Julie Davies is unable to talk to press while suspended.