The borough’s former deputy mayor who stood down after her sons assaulted a man has become embroiled in another controversy after tweeting about the incident which scuppered her chances of becoming the next mayor.

In a controversial post on Twitter this week, Councillor Judy Best said she would "never apologise" for her sons' actions and accused former Labour whip, Councillor Jack Hopkins, of "not keeping his word" in regards to her mayoralty.

She said: "I will never apologise for my sons defending me. Whilst the man who put me in hospital for seven days walks free. @brixton police and their racism."

Councillor Best, who represents Streatham Wells ward, has been nominated to take the role by her Liberal Democrat colleagues at Lambeth Council.

The three parties in Lambeth; Labour, Liberal Democrat and Conservative, have said they will rotate the position annually.

But council leader Councillor Steve Reed, has insisted the position is already set to be filled by Councillor Clive Bennett, and council papers for next Wednesday (April 18) list him as the chosen candidate.

Coun Bennett, who is also from the Liberal Democrat group, became deputy mayor when Coun Best stepped down from her position in November, after she was accused of assaulting a man near her home in Madeira Road on August 1, 2011.

But Coun Best claims her resignation was “temporary” pending the police investigation, which concluded with no charges being brought against her.

Meanwhile, her sons, Rion Peters, 21 and Scott Richards, 31, were jailed for 16 months and 18 months respectively for their involvement in the attack.

Commenting on the tweets by Coun Best, Coun Hopkins, now the cabinet member for public protection, called on Liberal Democrat leader Ashley Lumsden to order her to publicly apologise.

He said: “It is unacceptable for an elected councillor to justify violent criminal activity under any circumstances.

“Lambeth’s Liberal Democrat leader should now demand an apology from his councillor or her resignation if she refuses. Anything less would show his party has gone soft on violent crime.”

But Jeremy Clyne, the Liberal Democrat group press spokesman, said: “Judy is rightly and understandably upset about the way the Labour Group have treated her - she stood down from her position as Deputy Mayor on the clear understanding she would be reinstated if she was cleared of wrongdoing. It would appear that Steve Reed has reneged on that promise.

"Judy was never charged with any offence, and all the allegations have been dropped.

“There are serious questions to be asked about how the police have handled this whole matter and how false accusations were so widely broadcast.”

Councillor John Whelan, Conservative group leader, added: "Under the agreement between the three political parties in Lambeth it is the Liberal Democrats turn to nominate the Mayor for 2012-2013 and their choice of Councillor Judy Best should be supported by the other two parties."