A LIBERAL Democrat councillor caught taking Labour leaflets from houses in Newton-le-Willows in the run up to the local elections remains under investigation, Merseyside Police has confirmed.
CCTV footage of Cllr David Smith was widely circulated on social media on the day of May’s local elections.
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One video showed Cllr Smith, who was successfully elected to represent Newton, reaching into a letterbox on the Vulcan Estate to retrieve a leaflet, and then appearing to scrunch it up and put it in his pocket.
Lib Dem candidate for Newton David Smith rifling through peoples letterboxes to take out what we just posted through.
— JeanieBell (@CllrJeanieBell) May 2, 2019
Politics is a tough place to be but this is not acceptable at all.@UKLabour @LibDemPress @LibDems pic.twitter.com/wrDql3uj8d
A second video from the same estate also shows Cllr Smith reaching into someone’s letterbox.
Following the elections, Merseyside Police said it had launched an investigation into the two incidents.
A police spokesman has now confirmed that Cllr Smith has since attended an interview voluntarily for questioning.
Liberal Democrat councillor David Smith
No action has been taken against Cllr Smith, although the investigation has not yet concluded.
“The allegation against David Smith remains under investigation,” the police spokesman said.
Cllr Smith was approached for comment.
Speaking at the time the incidents came to light in May, Cllr Smith admitted taking Labour leaflets from two homes on the Vulcan Estate.
And another one!@LibDems you probably need to tell your candidate quickly to stop taking our leaflets out of letter boxes.
— JeanieBell (@CllrJeanieBell) May 2, 2019
It's not a good look. pic.twitter.com/xqbul263i7
Cllr Smith told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he removed two Labour leaflets from two properties that were in “poor condition”, before pushing his own through the letterbox.
The Lib Dem councillor denied doing this at any other properties than the ones shown in the footage.
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“I apologise for any offence I have caused,” Cllr Smith said at the time.
“Looking at it now I should not have taken it out.
“I apologise profusely.”
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