Lib-Dem leader's wife is caught on camera

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBVPtEAuoNw

These images show the moment the wife of a political party leader took an election leaflet from a letterbox and replaced it with one of her husband's.

Frances Heap, wife of Wolverhampton Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Mike Heap, is caught on camera removing the pamphlet of Labour's Gurcharan Bedi while on the campaign trail in the Spring Vale ward.

Mr Bedi lost in the May 5 election to Councillor Heap by 41 votes. The pictures were caught a camera outside a resident's front door and posted on internet video-sharing website YouTube.

Today members of the Labour Party said they were looking at what further action could be taken. Mr Bedi said: "I was a first-time candidate and I went and knocked on every single door in the ward.

"The reaction I had was brilliant and I felt 99 per cent sure I was going to win.

"This news is really disappointing and I wonder if it has had an effect on the overall result."

Labour leader Councillor Roger Lawrence said: "In view of the tightness of the result in Spring Vale, I will be speaking with our regional office to get their views on whether or not further action should be taken."

Although the exact location of where the footage was filmed cannot be seen, Mr Bedi said the flats were similar to those he had visited in the Lanwswood Avenue and Dovedale Road area of the Spring Vale ward.

It was shot at about 10.50am on April 30.

Today Councillor Heap said his wife took the leaflet to show it to him and that the flat's resident had come out and asked for it back. "It was rectified immediately and had I been there I would have told Frances to put it back. I'm not interested in other people's literature," he said.

Labour councillor Bishan Dass, who acted as an agent for Mr Bedi during the election, said that Councillor Heap should have "properly briefed his election team".

"It is very disappointing," he added. "It's a very serious issue that needs to be considered seriously."