A LEADING councillor is being sued by a pensioner who claims she slapped him in an election night bust-up and damaged his dentures.

Mike Beggs is demanding £7,500 from Cllr Penny Jackman to cover the cost of repairs to his false teeth, which he says were badly damaged in the incident three years ago.

Cllr Jackman could also face a huge bill for costs if she loses the court case.

It comes just weeks after the Tory politician was re-elected to Lymington Town Council and New Forest District Council in the local elections.

She has also kept her place on the New Forest National Park Authority, a non-elected body whose members are nominated by other organisations.

Mr Beggs, 75, of Sway, was a UKIP candidate in a town council by-election won by Tory Michael White.

Cllr Jackman and Mr Beggs were at the count when they clashed over his election leaflets.

The leaflets referred to a council meeting at which she said “Let’s shut them down” during a debate on plans to evict Lymington Cricket Club from the town centre ground it had occupied for 175 years.

In a statement issued at the time, Cllr Jackman said she “deeply regretted” the incident involving Mr Beggs.

She was later arrested on suspicion of assault and stepped down as chairman of the council’s amenities committee. However, police decided to take no further action.

Speaking at the time she said: “I am delighted to be completely exonerated.

“I would like to thank my family and many friends, all of whom never doubted my integrity, for their loyal and unwavering support during what has been a most difficult and distressing period.”

But Mr Beggs continued to demand compensation.

He said two attempts at mediation had failed and added: “I was pleased to see that Cllr Jackman was re-elected to Lymington Town Council, New Forest District Council and the New Forest National Park Authority.

“Her earnings from these activities will more than pay for my dental repairs, should be found liable for damages.

“Unfortunately, with three-and-a-half years’ delay, the costs are now far in excess of what they would have been if there had been no protracted delay.”

Cllr Jackman declined to comment ahead of the court case.

Married with two daughters, she has lived in Pennington since 1999 and is one of two Tory councillors for the village.

Cllr Jackman helped launch the Forest Uprising group after the NPA published proposals including road tolls, dog-free car parks and tighter controls on recreational horse keeping.

The hotly-contested plans were eventually scrapped and she later became a member of the organisation.

The two-day hearing is due to take place at Southampton County Court on June 23-24.