AS IF the multi-leader debates were not confusing enough, one Conservative election candidate appears to have complicated matters further with her own somewhat baffling love life.

Tracey Crouch, the Tory candidate for Chatham and Aylesford, in Kent, has reportedly become embroiled in a four-way split between herself, her BBC DJ lover, his wife and a local mother of three who claims she is also having an affair with him.

Miss Crouch, 39, who captured the seat from Labour in 2010 with a 6,000 majority, has been having an affair with Steve Ladner, a BBC Radio Kent DJ.

The DJ duly left his second wife, Helen, moved out of their home in Dover and reportedly moved into Miss Crouch’s house in Aylesford, 40 miles away.

But much like a floating voter Mr Ladner, 43, appears to be indecisive about his commitments, and has three times returned to his wife, an accountant. Matters became even more complicated when Kerry Dale, a separated mother of three, came forward to claim that she was also having an affair with Mr Ladner and accused Miss Crouch of stalking her online.

Mrs Dale, 41, told the Mail: “Tracey Crouch shouldn’t be going round sleeping with people’s husbands and acting like a love-struck teenager. I would have thought that one of David Cameron’s ‘A-listers’ had better things to do.”

Mrs Dale says she met Mr Ladner five years ago on a dating website and claims he even discussed leaving his wife for her.

Mrs Dale claims that she received a telephone call from Miss Couch last Wednesday in which the Tory candidate confronted her over her relationship with the DJ.

She said: “She told me Steve was going to leave his wife and marry her, and asked me whether I’d been having an affair with him. She said she found this text on his phone and had been stalking my Twitter ever since.”

Miss Crouch admitted contacting Mrs Dale after finding a text to her on Mr Ladner’s phone. She also said the nature of her relationship with Mr Ladner was unsatisfactory: “I’m not happy to share him with his wife. I’m told he’s in the process of divorce.”

Mr Ladner said: “I’m separated from my wife and categorically am not having any relationship with Kerry and never have been.”

Daily