An official of the Hong Kong Democratic party says Chinese authorities have seized about 8,000 rolls of toilet paper printed with the image of the territory’s pro-Beijing chief executive, Leung Chun-ying.

Lo Kin-hei, a vice-chairman of the liberal party, said on Saturday that police seized the toilet paper and another 20,000 packages of tissue paper from a factory in the Chinese city of Shenzhen where a friend of the party placed the order to obscure the party as the true buyer.

Lo said no reason was given for the seizure. He said the rolls were to be sold during Chinese New Year celebrations later this month.

The move comes after Beijing clamped down on recent pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong that criticised Leung.