A LABOUR election candidate has appeared in court charged with assaulting his wife.

Jimmy Urrah, who is standing in the Redhill and Northbourne ward, faces two charges of assaulting Nicolette Urrah by beating.

The offences are alleged to have taken place on April 12 and April 26.

Urrah, 37, of Evelyn Road, Moordown, Bournemouth was remanded on conditional bail and is due to appear again before Bournemouth magistrates for trial on June 2.

He is one of 13 candidates hoping to be elected to Bournemouth council today.

However, he has been suspended from the Labour Party, so if he is successful he would be able to take his place on the council, but it would not be as a representative of the Labour Party.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "Jimmy Urrah has been suspended from the Labour Party."