ACCUSATIONS of political shenanigans have emerged from Poole’s local elections, some of which have been passed to the fraud squad.

After the election which resulted in a hung council, a number of official complaints have been lodged with Borough of Poole’s returning officer Paul Morris.

“Following the elections on May 5, I received various complaints,” said Mr Morris. “They have been passed to the police to investigate as they think necessary.”

Following the election of 21 Conservative councillors, 18 Liberal Democrats and three Poole People Party members, the Tories are to form a minority administration.

However all three parties are involved in allegations of breaches of electoral law under the Representation of the People Act 1983.

Most result from statements made in campaign literature and put through residents doors as a record 118 candidates fought the 42 seats on offer.

Liberal Democrats have complained about one Conservative leaflet while the Tories have made two or three objections to literature put out by Poole People.

Cllr Mark Howell, leader of Poole’s newest party, has his own file of complaints.

“We made a couple of errors in leaflets that went out due to the pressure we were under as a small party issuing campaign literature across six wards,” he said. They corrected one leaflet and their website, he said.

Cllr Howell said they had checked with the Electoral Commission about urging people not to vote for a particular candidate. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said.

l A complaint resulting from a by-election in the Newtown ward last September, made by Liberal Democrats against a Conservative, is also being investigated.