V a n da d ef a plsa ce Colne V lley Tory osters

VANDALS have defaced the General Election posters of a Conservative candidate.

Several election posters for Jason McCartney, the MP for the Colne Valley for the past seven years, have been altered with a range of insults and crude pictures.

Vandals have struck at a number of locations over the weekend, including Holmfirth, Honley, Thongsbridge and Berry Brow.

They have re-designed Mr McCartney’s posters with stick on letters matching the real typography of his material.

One of the posters has been modified to say: “I do not care about your A&E” with a rude gesture added to the image of Mr McCartney.

Others say: “Never Trust Jason McCartney” and “Jason McCartney Failed Us”.

Posting on Twitter, Mr McCartney revealed his 11-year-old daughter had asked: “Why would someone do that?”

Speaking to the Examiner, he hit out at what he described as an “orchestrated operation” across the Holme Valley and strongly criticised members of the Colne Valley Labour Party, including candidate Thelma Walker’s campaign manager Natalie Ratcliffe.

Mrs Ratcliffe has “liked” the pictures posted on her husband’s Facebook page, in which he celebrated whoever had done the vandalism, commenting, “buy them a pint from me.”

Mr McCartney said: “Someone has produced stickers that match my posters. It’s clearly been co-ordinated and pre-meditated.

“Thelma Walker has questions to answer as members of her campaign team have been joking and relishing the vandalism.

“There’s big questions about their moral fibre and lack of respect from supporters of her campaign.

“I think it’s really sad, I’ve been a hard working MP and I’m delivering a positive campaign.

“It’s unfortunate some people indulge in criminal activity and people from her campaign team think it’s acceptable.”

Mr McCartney said he had not reported the incidents to the police as they had more important things to do.

He added: “Whoever planned this orchestrated attack, it’s completely failed.

“People have been coming up to me, not just Conservative voters, apologising for the posters.

“Decent people have been disgusted by it.”

Mrs Walker, a former headteacher, said it was “appalling” that Mr McCartney had been targeted.

“Vandalism like this is unacceptable,” she said.

“I feel strongly that it needs to be a respectful campaign.

“But we want to raise the discussion above the level of posters as it’s peoples’ lives. We don’t want to be sidetracked by whoever it is that’s done this. The key issue for us is not posters, it’s the cuts to education and the NHS.”

Natalie Ratcliffe, said her husband’s Facebook page was his personal opinion and nothing to do with Thelma Walker.

She said: “As campaign manager for Thelma Walker we are focused on people and policy, not posters.

“It is a criminal offence to deface the lamppost signs and we don’t advocate that kind of behaviour. Thelma is running a fair campaign.”

Those responsible for defacing the electoral posters could find themselves in trouble with the authorities.

West Yorkshire Police said they would investigate if it was reported.

A spokesperson said: “Defacing a poster or flyer in this manner could be classed as an offence of criminal damage if reported for investigation.”

Thelma Walker has questions to answer as members of her campaign team have been joking and relishing the vandalism.