Residents blast Tory tactics

11.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 10th Jul 2005

Stephen Day is under fire for his negative campaign

STEPHEN DAY's Tories deployed negative American style campaign tactics this week in a desperate attempt to win over local voters. Local people were subjected to a barrage of phone calls and leaflets personally attacking local Lib Dem candidate Mark Hunter and using misleading figures to attack Lib Dem policies.

One angry resident said, "I usually vote Conservative, but not this time. This is not the kind of thing I want to see going on in our area."

Many residents have contacted Lib Dem Mark Hunter's Campaign HQ to pledge their support in response to the 'nasty' Tory campaign.

Mark Hunter's Election Agent told News Extra, "Patsy Calton was a great MP for our area and I think that after her sad death, many people hoped that this would be a more positive election."

"Residents have been shocked by the style and tone of Stephen Day's negative Conservative campaign."