BLACK and minority ethnic voters could decide the result of the general election in a Bournemouth constituency, campaigners say.

A poster featuring former England international footballer Sol Campbell has appeared in Bournemouth West as part of a drive by Operation Black Vote.

The star is pictured wearing white make-up alongside the slogan: “If you don’t vote, you take the colour out of Britain”.

Bournemouth West is ranked number 171 on the campaign’s list of 205 seats where the black and minority ethnic (BME) vote is big enough to sway the result.

There were 5,282 BME constituents as of the 2011 consensus, not far short of the 5,583-vote majority enjoyed by Conservative Conor Burns at the 2010 election.

Simon Woolley, national coordinator for Operation Black Vote, said of the research: “Black and minority ethnic voters have been handed the greatest opportunity ever to effectively engage in British politics."

He added: “With this report we relish the challenge to inspire an often cynical electorate to engage as never before, and simultaneously to inform our political leaders that putting race equality back on the agenda is no longer an option but rather a question about their own political survival.”

Adnan Chaudry, chief officer of Dorset Race Equality Council, said: “Our perspective is not to comment on any constituency but to encourage people to go out and vote.

“The message we want to get out whether it's Bournemouth East, West, Poole, wherever, is we encourage people to go out there and get involved in the democratic process. That's what Operation Black Vote is about.”

He added: “Our views are that people should go out and use their vote for the party they think best represents them.”

The candidates for Bournemouth West this time are: Conor Burns, Conservative; Dick Franklin, Patria; Martin Houlden, UKIP; Elizabeth McManus, Green Party; Mike Plummer, Liberal Democrat; and David Stokes, Labour.