IN the BEN letters page on Saturday, April 22, a very well reasoned and thought out letter appeared written by Conservative local election candidate, Jolyon Coombs, in which he laid out what is and is not acceptable behaviour of tellers at polling stations.
What a shame that the supporters of the Conservative candidate in Derby Ward either did not read his letter or chose to ignore it.
When I went after work to vote at St William's School, not only was there a car displaying several 'Vote Ansar Hussein Conservative' posters parked prominently between the school gates and the polling station entrance, but also there were at least a dozen people wearing Conservative Party rosettes stood around the Polling Station entrance, both quite clearly in breach of the guidelines laid down regarding acceptable behaviour at Polling Stations.
The two ladies that issue the voting papers in the Polling Station asked me if they were still out there, and when I said yes, they told me that there had been a similar presence most of the day.
Shortly afterwards as I drove past St Philip's, I saw an even larger number of clearly badged Conservative supporters complete with vehicles displaying posters directly outside the Polling Station.
Later in the evening a friend told me that a similar crowd was present at the Pikes Lane School Polling Station, and that he felt intimidated by such a presence.
I think that Mr Hussein owes the constituents of Derby Ward a full and proper explanation of why he allowed his supporters to breach election guidelines, and an apology to all those like my friend who were made to feel uncomfortable by their boorish behaviour.
Mike Francis
Dunbar Drive
Great lever IN the BEN letters page on Saturday, April 22, a very well reasoned and thought out letter appeared written by Conservative Local Election Candidate, Jolyon Coombs, in which he laid out what is and is not acceptable behaviour of tellers at polling stations.
What a shame that the supporters of the Conservative candidate in Derby Ward either did not read his letter or chose to ignore it.
When I went after work to vote at St William's school, not only was there a car displaying several 'Vote Ansar Hussein Conservative' posters parked prominently between the school gates and the polling station entrance, but also there were at least a dozen people wearing Conservative Party rosettes stood around the Polling Station entrance, both quite clearly in breach of the guidelines laid down regarding acceptable behaviour at Polling Stations.
The two ladies that issue the voting papers in the Polling Station asked me if they were still out there, and when I said yes, they told me that there had been a similar presence most of the day.
Shortly afterwards as I drove past St Philip's, I saw an even larger number of clearly badged Conservative supporters complete with vehicles displaying posters directly outside the Polling Station.
Later in the evening a friend told me that a similar crowd was present at the Pikes Lane School Polling Station, and that he felt intimidated by such a presence.
I think that Mr Hussein owes the constituents of Derby Ward a full and proper explanation of why he allowed his supporters to breach election guidelines, and an apology to all those like my friend who were made to feel uncomfortable by their boorish behaviour.
Mike Francis
Dunbar Drive
Great lever
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