The editor of the Kentish Gazette newspaper and a reporter on the 300-year-old newspaper could face the sack after being suspended over a column which the paper said got transgender issues “badly wrong”.

The Harry Bell column, which uses a pseudonym to cover topics in a more informal way, singled out a “very obvious transperson” in Canterbury in an apparent attempt to tackle trans issues.

Editor Bob Bounds and reporter Alex Claridge are understood to be facing disciplinary proceedings as a result of the piece, which could lead to their compulsory dismissals.