The former chairman of a group that called for paedophilia to be legalised  has joined the Labour party, according to reports.

The Times has reported that Tom O'Carroll joined the party in September.

Mr O'Carroll, a former chairman of the Paedophile Information Exchange (Pie), was convicted in 1981 of 'conspiracy to corrupt public morals' and in 2006 for 'conspiring to distribute indecent images of children'.

He told The Times that he did not have 'any comment' on his relationship with Labour.

Labour's general secretary Iain McNicol has now been urged to suspend or remove Mr O'Carroll from the party.

John Mann MP told The Times: "He is totally unfit to be a Labour party member. He should be immediately thrown out. We don't want him or anyone like him anywhere near the Labour party."

The party received an influx of new members last year ahead of the election of its new leader, Jeremy Corbyn. It costs £3 to join the party, following the introduction of a scheme by Ed Miliband.

A spokesperson for the Labour Party said: "We do not comment on individual membership of the Labour Party."

Pie was set up in 1974 to campaign for the law to be changed to legalise sex with children.

Mr O'Carroll has not backed down from his views.

On his website he said: "I have been at odds with 'the dominant narrative' of sexual morality over the last several decades, especially as regards children's sexual self-determination and paedophilia.

"My aim here is to present a discourse of resistance. That probably sounds grim, but humour and cheerfulness are my weapons of choice, along with reason and research."