Two South Norwood men arrested for burning an effigy of the Grenfell tower are members of their local conservative club, it has been revealed.

Father and son Clifford Smith, 49, and Bobbi Connell, 19, are members of South Norwood Conservative Club (SNCC), a social society for conservative supporters.

The pair handed themselves in on Monday after a video emerged showing a group burning a model of the tower, complete with paper victims in the windows, on an open fire to a cacophony of laughter.

Images of the men attending functions at SNCC, featuring Mr Connell in fancy dress and Mr Smith on a golfing trip, were found by Evolve Politics on the club's Facebook page, which has since been deleted.

In a statement on their website, SNCC announced the two men had been suspended with immediate effect.

A spokesperson said: "Following recent events highlighted in the media, The Club Committee has suspended, with immediate effect, those members involved, pending the outcome of the police investigation."

The SNCC published a photograph on their Facebook page showing Bobbi Connell in costume earlier this year:

 

An image of Mr Smith on a golfing trip in 2012 could also be seen before the page was deleted:

 

The SNCC, founded in 1912, claims it has been "visited by Winston Churchill, many famous snooker players, and Neil Morrissey from Men Behaving Badly".

Bernard Weatherhill, former speaker of the House of Commons, served as club chairman before his death in 2007.

Six men have been arrested so far in connection to the viral video, all handing themselves in to south London police stations.

Police raided Mr Connell and Mr Smith's terraced home on Norhyrst Avenue on Tuesday night.

Neighbours, who claim the family flew a St George's flag all year round, have condemned their actions.

A 77-year-old neighbour said: "They always seemed a bit nationalistic. Who has a flag of St George flying on a flagpole all year round?

"If you fly a flag of St George permanently at the back with a flagpole, I should imagine you are pretty committed to your national identity. Perhaps it's Brexit.

"It's a shock and it's disgusting. You must be a bit loopy."

A Conservative party spokesperson said: “This club is not affiliated to the Conservative Party.

"It is up to them to make decisions about their membership. We condemn in the strongest possible terms those involved with this vile incident.”