Anger as High Peak candidates' election posters vandalised

Residents in the area shared this photo with Robert Largan, Conservative candidate.

There have been reports of political campaign signs and posters being defaced throughout the High Peak area.

Some signs have been written over with the name of an opposing party, smeared with faeces and torn into pieces.

Rob Largan, High Peak candidate for Conservative Party said: “People care deeply about the election, that being said, it is unacceptable for this kind of vandalism to take place. It's a shame some people now feel unable to display posters for fear of damage being caused. Those on all sides of the debate should now focus on what really matters to local people - improving local transport, education and the NHS.”

David Lomax, Liberal Democrat candidate for High Peak found signs that had been torn down.

Alan Graves Junior, High Peak candidate for The Brexit Party, said: “Several of our boards have been vandalised all across High Peak. It is disgraceful that people feel they can vandalise property when it is political. This is how divisive politics has become, and this is why Leave voters are coming together around the Brexit Party to ensure Corbyn does not get anywhere near power and further divide our country.”

A spokesperson for High Peak Labour Party said: “Unfortunately we too have and are continuing to experience criminal damage to our election posters across the constituency. Labour garden stake posters have been stolen, broken and the boards defaced with slogans and with Boris Johnson stickers which in a number of instances has also involved dog faeces. The Labour Party condemns all such damage of the election posters of any party. We are reporting all such damage to Derbyshire Police on 101 who are collating details of incidents across the county. We would urge all other parties who suffer such damage to do the same.”

David Lomax, High Peak candidate for Liberal Democrats, said: “We have had some posters vandalised and a number of people have been reluctant to have a poster this time because they were worried about vandalism not just to the signs but to their property.”

A spokesperson for High Peak Green Party said: “We have not had any reports of Green Party sign vandalism.”

These incidents have been reported following a campaign to ‘stop the nastiness’ in politics by Compassion in Politics – online, candidates across the UK can pledge to ‘change the culture of politics’, which both Robert Largan, Conservative candidate and Ruth George, Labour candidate, have pledged their support for.