Police to investigate over election bust-up

1:40pm Saturday 10th May 2008

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CLAIMS that a candidate in the borough elections published misleading campaign material are being investigated by police.

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council deputy mayor Tim Munro is under attack about a leaflet he distributed by defeated fellow independent candidate Richard Denton-White.

Coun Munro won the vote in the Underhill seat on Portland in last week's local elections after three recounts by council staff.

The closely fought race saw him defeat Mr Denton-White by just 32 votes.

Mr Denton-White alleges that a campaign leaflet distributed to Underhill homes by Coun Munro lost him the election.

He has filed a complaint to Weymouth police, who are carrying out enquiries into the allegation.

The leaflet suggested that if Mr Denton-White were elected council tax payers might see their precept for Portland Town Council increased from £6 to £146 - a claim Mr Denton-White denies.

The leaflet also suggested that Mr Denton-White was not as committed as Mr Munro to saving the Officers Field at Osprey Quay from housing development.

It said: Be clear that the only candidate fighting to save the Officers Field is me.' Mr Denton-White said: "The leaflet might well have made all the difference between winning and losing given the closeness of the result."

Mr Denton-White is now calling for the election to be declared null and void by the Electoral Commission.

He has sent copies of his complaint to the commission and to Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's chief returning officer Tom Grainger.

Mr Denton-White claims Coun Munro has broken electoral law under Section 106 of the Representation of the Peoples' Act 1983, which deals with election literature which is intentionally misleading.

Coun Munro said the first he heard of the allegations was when the Dorset Echo contacted him for comment. He declined to comment on the election material, but said: "I'm content for the due process to take place as things progress."

A Dorset Police spokesman confirmed that they had received a letter of complaint from Mr Denton-White and that officers would be making enquiries.