local Conservatives have disowned a leaflet claiming that Malvern's North Site is to be used as a camp for asylum seekers.

The leaflet, headlined No To Asylum Camp, carries the Tories' torch logo and bears the words "official Conservative Party endorsed campaign".

It says a demonstration was due to be held outside North Site last Friday, December 17, at 7am.

The leaflet continues: "Mr Tom Wells (Liberal Leader) will attend for TV interviews lunchtime and evening."

Simon Eardley, agent for West Worcestershire MP Sir Michael Spicer, said he first saw the leaflet the day before the supposed meeting, when its author brought it into his office.

He told the author that he should not distribute it, backing up the request with a hand-delivered letter.

Mr Eardley said: "This letter confirmed my verbal instructions to him at 7pm that evening and contained the following paragraph, which remains our official position on this issue:

"Further to your visit to my office this afternoon, I write to confirm my instruction that your leaflets bearing the headline No To Asylum Camp do not carry the authority of the West Worcestershire Conservative Association. This is not an Official Conservative Party Endorsed Campaign and I have not given permission for the use of the Conservative torch logo on this printed material. I reiterate my request that these leaflets should not be distributed."

Mr Eardley said he very much regretted that the author of the leaflet had decided not to follow this request, but did not consider that any further action could be taken. He said the leaflet's author was not a member of the Conservative Party and his request for membership had been refused.

John Morgan, the Liberal Democrats' West Worcestershire agent, said: "I'm not taking this seriously."

The former defence base at North Site has been declared surplus to requirements by the MoD and is earmarked for housing. A camp for asylum seekers is not part of the plan.