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One of the candidates in next month's general election has called in the police after a significant number of his campaign posters were "stolen and defaced".

David Warburton was elected MP for Somerton and Frome in 2015, and is standing in the June 8 election for the Conservative Party.

Mr Warburton said that the scale of the damage was "completely on another planet" compared to the previous election.

He said: "We have had Conservative posters stolen and defaced on a scale completely on another planet compared to two years ago.

"The police are involved and there are various people with CCTV footage and also some photos with number plates which have gone to the police."

Mr Warburton said that he was receiving near-constant reports of posters going missing or being vandalised in every part of his former constituency, which covers an area of around 900 square miles.

He said: "So far all posters in Muchelney have been stolen, 18 out of 20 in Martock were stolen and the remainder defaced.

"Posters have been stolen in Clanville, Alford and Lovington. The majority from Castle Cary are either stolen now or defaced.

"They're defaced in West Camel too - there are some on the north side of the A303 with black paint as well as the usual spray paint.

"In Bruton , numerous posters have been stolen. One person saw a car stop, tear down a 4ft x 4ft sign and put it in their car. They reported the car number to the police, and I'm trying to follow up.

"They've been torn down in Norton St Philip, Falkland and Kilmersdon. In Frome one has been thrown down, two have had the board ripped off, and some stolen.

"In Langport and Long Sutton they've been defaced - CCTV footage has gone to the local police."

Mr Warburton opined that the people doing this would not necessarily know that this would result in a criminal record.

He added that he found it perplexing and "extraordinary" that people were defacing his posters with terms like "toff" and "toff off".

He said: "I come from a single-parent family, I was born in a council flat and then we lived in a council house.

"I was expelled from school at 16 with three O Levels and worked in a shop for years, was a delivery van driver, worked as a cleaner and sold sandwiches for a living. I worked my way up from that to parliament - I’m a 'toff'?"

Avon and Somerset Constabulary has been approached for comment.