Voters in a marginal seat in north west Leeds have said they feel as though they are being "bombarded" by the Liberal Democrats ahead of next week's local elections.
The party is targeting Weetwood as it looks to retain the seat being vacated by outgoing councillor Jonathan Bentley. A quarter of the Lib Dems' total of eight councillors are in the ward, making it one of their strongest bases across the city.
However, some local residents have told LeedsLive they have received six letters from the Lib Dems a week before the election - three times the amount from any other party. The Labour MP for Leeds North West, Alex Sobel, said Weetwood voters are "swamped every year", but a Lib Dem spokesperson reacted by saying: "We feel as though it is an appropriate use of literature."
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Freya Napier, 21, has lived in the area for most of her life. She told LeedsLive she is concerned about the "negative" tone of the Liberal Democrats' campaign and does not understand the volume of post she has received from them.
"I feel a bit like I have been bombarded," she said. "I got a leaflet one day and then the next day I got a letter. I have even had the same leaflet twice."
She said she has received one letter from the Social Democratic Party and two from Labour campaigners. But the number of flyers from the Lib Dems is "triple" that amount.
"It's just more paper coming through the door. There have been so many but I don't even read them anymore. They go straight in the bin.
"I once saw the Liberal Democrat candidate, but I've never spoken to any of them. These leaflets just appear from nowhere. It's just lots of bits of paper coming through the door.
"I am surprised by how negative they have been too. It's a nice area."
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Leeds North West MP Mr Sobel added: "Every year in council elections Weetwood voters are swamped by materials which are not only repetitive but are becoming increasingly nasty and negative. The Lib Dems are alienating voters and putting people off voting altogether."
Outgoing Weetwood councillor Mr Bentley, who is campaigning as part of prospective Lib Dem candidate Sharon Slinger's campaign, said: "One person's bombardment is another person's information. We do put quite a lot of literature because we have got a lot to say in the campaign and we have messages which sometimes we would like to repeat.
"If other parties haven't got as much to say, they won't put out as much literature. We feel it is an appropriate use of literature."
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Responding to accusations of "nasty" and "negative" campaigning, Mr Bentley added: "That's completely untrue."
The full list of candidates standing in the Weetwood ward is as follows:
- Angelo Basu - The Conservative Party
- Christopher Mark Foren - Green Party
- Sharon Margaret Slinger - Liberal Democrats
- Rob Walker - Social Democratic Party
- Izaak William Wilson - Labour and Co-operative Party
