Anna Farquhar, the charity boss who has been caught up in a race row over the phrase jungle drums, said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received from the public.

Mrs Farquhar and her organisation Wiltshire Involvement Network (WIN), a health and social care watchdog, were censured by Wiltshire Council who upheld a complaint by equality campaigner Sonia Carr, of Warminster, who considered jungle drums to be a racist comment.

Wiltshire Council said the comment was “inappropriate” and withdrew funding to cover WIN’s administration costs after WIN did not accept the comment was racist.

Mrs Farquhar, 70, of Potterne Wick near Devizes, told the Gazette: “I have been overwhelmed by the level of support following the publicity surrounding the ‘jungle drums’ incident.

“Many strangers have sent letters and cards and one lady telephoned from Australia. The web, too, has been busy with people from all over the world and across the ethnic spectrum deploring the waste of energy given to this matter.”

Mrs Farquhar’s husband, Ian, said: “The lady from Australia rang and said she had to telephone as she was outraged when she heard all about it. All of the letters, cards and emails Anna has received have been one hundred per cent in support of her.”

Mrs Farquhar said she used the phrase jungle drums to describe rumours circulating in the NHS and said it was a common expression similar to grapevine.

Mrs Farquhar apologised to Mrs Carr for any offence caused during the meeting of WIN in August when she said it.

Mrs Farquhar told the Gazette: “My stance has always been that the phrase was not ‘inappropriate,’ but part and parcel of everyday language and was used as such. I still hold the same view.”

Mrs Farquhar did not wish to comment on a letter the Gazette received from Stephen Carey, chairman of the Wiltshire Racial Equality Council of which Mrs Carr is a member.

Mr Carey says in the letter: “We...very much support and value the contribution that our vice chair, Sonia Carr, has made in highlighting the use of culturally inappropriate language and views at recent meetings of the Wiltshire Involvement Network.

“We trust therefore that following a supportive review by Wiltshire Council that the Wiltshire Involvement Network will improve their anti-discriminatory practice for the benefit of all communities living and working in Wiltshire.”

Wiltshire Council chief executive Andrew Kerr told a meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday that an investigation would take place into the council’s handling of the complaint by Mrs Carr.

He said: “In light of the press statements and the various articles regarding the Wiltshire Involvement Network we will be conducting an investigation to see how we have dealt with the complaint.

“It came into the council and was dealt with by officers and we are going to look at our processes as part of the investigation. We will report back to the Cabinet with the findings.”