Candidate’s error lands him in strife with police

AN election candidate has slammed a “gratuitous waste of police time” after he was hauled before a detective to explain an administrative error with his campaign leaflet.

John Hall, an independent standing in Newcastle’s Parklands ward, was interviewed for around 25 minutes at Byker Police Station on Friday – after a complaint that he had failed to include a footnote with details of the leaflet’s printer and promoter.

The complaint was made by his Lib Dem opponent Coun Robin Ashby to Newcastle City Council chief executive Pat Ritchie, the authority’s returning officer, who then referred it to the police.

Mr Hall, who is standing for election for the first time, says the error was a “genuine oversight” that should have been handled with a simple phone call, rather than involving an overstretched police force.

He said: “Have they not got the common sense to sort this out between them without going to the police?

“The police are stretched left, right, and centre.

“I am very frustrated by it.

“I understand that there is a procedure to follow. But Coun Ashby knows that I am an independent candidate, I don’t have any political party behind me, or any funding other than out of my own pocket. “I think it is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, we have lost all sight of common sense. “He could have telephoned me and pointed out the omission.” Northumbria Police has endured £136.6 million of cuts since 2010, which means there are 898 fewer officers on the streets and a further 926 other staff have also John Hall, independent candidate for Parklands ward, Newcastle been lost.

He added: “There was nothing offensive or extreme in the leaflet or anything like that, and I understand that you should go to the police if there was.

“I hold the council officers in high regard – if they had rang me and said that my leaflet did not comply with the rules, then I would have sorted it out.

“But to involve the police when they have far, far better things to do is a bit draconian.

“I have no axe to grind with the police, they were just doing their job, but they could have spent that time far better.”

The council said it was following standard procedure for dealing with breaches of electoral regulations.

Under the Representation of the People Act 1983, all election material must include the name and address printer.

Mr Hall says he was given a “stern telling off ” and was told that all future election leaflets must contain the necessary information.

Coun Ashby said: “In this case, there was a breach of the rules and I reported it to the returning officer. They then directed that it was indeed a breach and they took it to the police.”

A council spokesman said “We have received a complaint alleging an election campaign leaflet was in breach of electoral regulations.

“As in accordance with standard procedure, the Returning Officer has referred the complaint to Northumbria Police.”

A Northumbria Police spokesman said: “We are aware of the complaint and are speaking to the individual involved.” of its promoter and