A LABOUR politician called for a Newport Conservative election candidate to stand down after discovering he was sacked from the city council ten years ago.

Andrew Cooksey, a candidate for the Rogerstone ward, was dismissed from Spring Care Centre as care worker in 1997 for rude behaviour.

Newport West Labour AM Rosemary Butler wrote to Newport council Conservative leader Matthew Evans detailing Mr Cooksey's employment tribunal findings.

She wrote: "I doubt very much that you would want your party identified with a record of frightening the elderly."

The tribunal record cites three incidents, two of which involved rudeness towards a family mourning the loss of a relative and an allegation of frightening old people.

In the letter Ms Butler called on Mr Evans to dismiss Mr Cooksey as conservative candidate, labelling him unfit for public office.

But Mr Evans said he was "shocked and appalled" at the letter.

"It smacks of desperation to me. If they knew anything about electoral law they'd know that it would be illegal for me to dismiss him."

The Conservative leader claimed the furore was a "vindictive Labour campaign" after Mr Cooksey defected from the party in 1997 and has since stood as a Conservative candidate.

Mr Cooksey suffers from Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism, and runs his own consultancy, training and supporting those suffering with the condition.

He said: "At the time of my dismissal I was under a tremendous amount of stress with my son who is also severely autistic, and the social services which was letting us down."

Since his dismissal Mr Cooksey said he has been invited, and paid, by Newport council to train fellow autism sufferers on their behalf.