A Gwent MP last night stood by his claims a black police officers’ group’s policies could be seen as racism.

Monmouth MP David Davies yesterday told the National Black Police Association conference it was a matter of principle for them to let white officers be full members, causing some of the audience to walk out and others to slow hand clap him.

He said organisers told him his invitation was supposed to have been sent to former shadow home secretary David Davis, but that he was glad to have had the opportunity to express his views.

In his speech, Mr Davies told the conference: “To me it is a shame that full membership of the BPA is open only to those of black, Asian or Middle Eastern origin.”

He later added: “It could be argued that this policy is explicitly racist in that it bars white people, and implicitly racist in suggesting that white people care less about racism than people of black, Middle Eastern, Asian or African origin.”

Mr Davies said while the majority of the audience accepted his opinions, a handful of people reacted badly to his speech.

In the question and answer session which followed, his comments were likened to those of the British National Party in the 1980s.

Mr Davies said he was “appalled” by the reaction.

A spokesman for the NBPA said: “Some of his comments were disrespectful. To attend our conference and say some of those things in the way he did shows a lack of respect.”

The NBPA admitted there was confusion about which David Davies would be attending, but that he had been invited along in the place of Labour MP Keith Vaz, who was unable to attend.