A FORMER Labour parliamentary candidate has been accused of "telling porkies" over claims on his election leaflets.

Dan Walton is standing in Bedwardine this May at Worcestershire County Council's crunch elections.

On his election material he tells voters his business is based in Worcester, despite it actually being in Little Witley, near Malvern.

The leader of Worcester's Conservative group Councillor Marc Bayliss, who is standing down from County Hall next month, has called it "nonsense".

The two have got into an election spat, with Mr Walton saying Worcester is his nearest big city.

Cllr Bayliss said: "He doesn't live in Worcester, he doesn't work here, this is an absolute porkie pie.

"He's trying to pretend he is 'local' when he clearly isn't - it's like saying 'London is my nearest capital city so I'll tell people I'm based there."

Mr Walton, who runs the West Worcestershire Labour Party branch, tried to become Malvern's MP in 2015 and stood against Harriett Baldwin.

He also attempted to become West Mercia's police and crime commissioner last year but was defeated by Tory John Campion.

His company, called OLPRO, sells tents, camping equipment and other outdoor leisure items, with his business background featuring heavily in all of his election campaigns in recent years.

On the company's own website it says the firm is registered to a business park in Little Witley, stating that the offices are 'close to the magnificent Malvern Hills'.

When he stood for parliament in 2015 he also published his CV online, which can still be found, saying his business is based at 'Little Witley, in Malvern Hills'.

Mr Walton said: "Clearly where the business is based is not hidden in any way - Worcester is my local city, it's where we recruit our staff, it's where we sell.

"It would be silly to say 'we're in Little Witley', many people wouldn't even know where it is, we trade to countries like Germany.

"Sometimes overseas customers don't even know where Worcester is, so we say we're south of Birmingham.

"It find it really strange he's taking the time to criticise me over this, he never comes back to me about Labour policies."

The Bedwardine division is a Tory stronghold the party is desperate to keep, with Derek Prodger being de-selected and Councillor Alan Amos - an ex-Labour politician - contesting it instead.