Tories import Eastern Europeans to deliver their leaflets

7.00.54am BST (GMT +0100) Sun 2nd May 2010

Pendle Conservative candidate Andrew Stephenson is using a gang of leaflet

deliverers brought into the country from Serbia to deliver his leaflets during the

General Election campaign.

A group of six Serbs wearing distinctive blue Tory teeshirts are tramping the

streets of different parts of Pendle from Barnoldswick to Colne to Brierfield,

pushing Tory leaflets through letter boxes day in, day out.

They are here for around ten days, all expenses paid. They are being put up in a

hotel in Colne and taken out for meals by the Conservative candidate and his

agent, George Askew. Their travel expenses from Serbia have been paid for.

Tony Greaves, agent for Liberal Democrat candidate Afzal Anwar, said that in view

of the Conservative stress on keeping out immigrants in this campaign, people

might think that they are being a bit hypocritical in relying on Serbs to deliver their

leaflets.

He said: "The real question is how much is all this costing? They have shipped them

in, they are putting them up, and they are wining and dining them in local

restaurants.

"I shall scrutinise their return of election expenses very carefully to make sure that

these costs are all included - probably into the thousands of pounds. If they are

not there, Mr Stephenson and Mr Askew may find themselves in real trouble."

Tony Greaves also pointed out that the Tories have been paying people to deliver

their leaflets at £25 per 1000 leaflets.

He added: "It all shows that they have a lot more money than they have local

helpers."