Four Lancashire County Council staff have been sacked after a three-month investigation into the exchange of racist computer messages.
The workers were found to have exchanged offensive e-mail messages and images and even used memory sticks in a bid to bypass security systems on the authorty's IT network.
Of nine members of staff subjected to disciplinary hearings four have been dismissed for gross misconduct while the remainder have been given formal written warnings.
A further five workers where were investigated have not been disciplined.
The message content is said to have featured pictures of the Nazi holocaust making comparisons to the conflict between Isreal and Palestinians.
The opening paragraph of one message read: 'The grandchildren of Holocaust survivors from World War II are doing to the Palestinians exactly what was done to them by Nazi Germany'.
The email urged the viewer to forward the message to others.
The email was originally received by Salim Mulla (Blackburn with Darwen councillor) who forwarded it to 63 of his colleagues believing that the content was inoffensive.
No action has been taken against him and has stressed that he supports Holocaust Memorial Day. However, he says atrocities are happening in Gaza which are unacceptable.
The content only came to light when one staff member was absent from work and a colleague accessed his computer and stumbled upon the images.
Lancs County Council Chief Executive Ged Fitzgerald said: "After a full investigation we have taken disciplinary action against a number of staff found to have sent and received highly inappropriate emails.
"There have been formal hearings for the most serious cases. Four people have been dismissed with a further five staff receiving formal written warnings.
"For some less serious cases, the staff involved have returned to work and any necessary action will be handled by their managers.
"This has been an unfortunate incident, but an isolated one. By far the majority of our staff use e-mail appropriately and are working hard to deliver a good service to everyone in Lancashire."
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