Conservatives have complained about a Labour poster blitz in a key marginal seat.

Flyers promoting Labour candidate Ivor Caplin were put up throughout Hove and Portslade during the weekend.

But supporters of Conservative candidate Jenny Langston protested about where they had been posted.

Hangleton councillor Mark Barnard said: "They have been stuck to traffic signs and bollards and other public property. I doubt very much if whoever is responsible had permission from the council to do this.

"Conservative posters have only been put up where the property owner has given permission. We shall be making a formal complaint to Labour and the returning officer."

Ivor Caplin said he condemned fly-posting and said a number of his posters had already been removed from inappropriate places.

He said: "I have always condemned fly-posting throughout my 20 years of campaigning.

"The posters add colour to the campaign for all parties and should only be put up with the permission of property owners.

"The problem is we have literally hundreds of supporters working for us. People come into our offices or visit our stalls and ask for posters. All we can do is to ask them to be sensible about where they put them up.

"We will continue to remove any we become aware of that have been put somewhere unsuitable."

Hove and Portslade is seen as a key marginal seat by both parties.

Labour overturned a Tory majority of more than 12,000 to win the seat with a majority of just under 4,000 in 1997.

June 5, 2001