Leader George Finch has publicly requested that the chief executive of Warwickshire County Council "makes clear that white lives matter too".

Referencing the murder of Henry Nowak in Southampton in December, a case that recently concluded with Vickrum Digwa, 23, convicted and sentenced to life with a minimum tariff of 21 years, Cllr Finch called on the council's most senior employed professional Monica Fogarty to issue a statement.

Video evidence from the case showed how Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, originally called by Digwa's brother, arrested and handcuffed Mr Nowak during a two-and-a-half-minute period in which he told officers a number of times that he had been stabbed and could not breathe.

Police officers asked where he had been stabbed and slightly lifted his clothing to take a look but found no wound at that point, proceeding with the arrest and handcuffing.

An ambulance was called around two-and-a-half minutes after police first approached Mr Nowak, by which time he had become unresponsive.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage MP responded with an online video on Tuesday morning with a YouTube caption including the phrase: "We should respond to this with pure cold rage."

On the same day, Cllr Finch published his request that distinctly asked Ms Fogarty – as opposed to the county council itself – to issue a public statement on "the deeply troubling circumstances" around Mr Nowak's death.

He calls for the murder and "serious public concern" around the police response to be acknowledged, urging that the statement "makes clear that white lives matter too, just as every life matters".

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Cllr Finch also calls for knife crime to be condemned in the "strongest possible terms", that the importance of equal treatment of crime victims be reaffirmed and for the statement to advocate "a proper national discussion" on public safety, knife carrying and confidence in policing.

"I appreciate that this case did not happen in Warwickshire," he wrote.

"However, the issues it raises are national issues and they go directly to public confidence in policing, equal treatment before the law, knife crime and whether all victims are treated with the same urgency and compassion."

Disorder followed on the streets of Southampton with Mr Farage criticised for politicising Mr Nowak's death against the wishes of his family.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating and on Wednesday urged the public "to stop speculating on a live investigation".

Cllr Finch's correspondence, which was published on his X and Facebook platforms, also made reference to Ms Fogarty issuing a statement on Black Lives Matter in June 2020.

"I therefore believe it is entirely reasonable for you to make clear now that white lives matter too," he wrote.

"That should not be a controversial statement. It should be a basic statement of equal humanity."

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The Black Lives Matter movement was instigated when George Floyd was murdered by serving police officer Derek Chauvin in the United States on May 25, 2020.

Chauvin kneeled on Mr Floyd's neck for nine minutes while he was face down on the ground. Chauvin was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years in prison and was later convicted of violating Mr Floyd's rights.

That led to mass protests and people of all backgrounds 'taking the knee'.

Warwickshire County Council's statement on that was released on June 9, 2020, and was attributed to Ms Fogarty. Chauvin had been charged with murder on May 29.

The statement read: "We want to reference the events taking place in the United States and around the world.

"The brutal killing of George Floyd has horrified communities everywhere. We know the people of Warwickshire will share that abhorrence.

"As a public service, Warwickshire County Council works tirelessly to make our community one in which people feel safe.

"The killing of George Floyd makes us all take a breath and look around us to consider whether that is something that could happen here. We all hope not.

"We must state that racism has no place in Warwickshire. Black lives matter.

"As a community leader, this council condemns any acts of racism or violence and we hope that everyone in Warwickshire joins us in that condemnation."

The council held a one-minute silence to pay tribute to Mr Floyd, his family "and to all individuals in Warwickshire and around the world who have sadly experienced any form of racism" on June 8.

The statement also reaffirmed that the council – then under Conservative leadership – was committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and supporting black people and communities across Warwickshire.

It concluded: "We are committed to making Warwickshire the very best it can be. Black Lives Matter."

A spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that Warwickshire County Council would not be commenting on Cllr Finch's correspondence or whether or not his request would be granted.