FURIOUS Conservatives have called in the police to investigate a series of damaged posters in Newport West.

Posters have disappeared from gardens in Fields Park Avenue in the Allt-yr-yn area of Newport. Others have been vandalised and even destroyed.

Gwent Police confirmed that they had been called to the scene in Fields Park Avenue and that they would be "monitoring the situation closely" in the run-up to the June 7 election.

And former Tory government minister Rod Richards, AM, came out to investigate yesterday and add his experience to the campaign.

The posters are for Newport West candidate Dr Bill Morgan, who said the behaviour was unacceptable.

"It's difficult to have a democratic debate when this is going on," he added. He also complained that he was subjected to abusive language while campaigning in Bettws shopping centre.

As well as garden billboards, signs have also been damaged in Caerleon and Rogerstone.

Mr Richards' support has been welcomed by Mr Morgan and other Gwent Conservative candidates, despite the fact that he has been cast out of the Tory group at the Assembly. Mr Richards, referred to as an Independent Conservative in the Bay, has always maintained that he is still a paid-up party member, but the personal tension between him and Tory Assembly leader Nick Bourne means he is unlikely to return to their ranks while Mr Bourne is in charge.

Mr Morgan said: "He happened to be available and I'm grateful for his help. He's going to be wearing a blue rosette and supporting the party's policies. You have to recognise he's still a Conservative."