A FUND RAISING evening to help pay a court fine for Bromsgrove's Labour Party's candidate in tomorrow's general election led to a war of words this week between him and his Tory opponent.

Magistrates recently ordered county and district councillor and lecturer Peter McDonald to pay fines and costs totalling £1,280 for two breaches of theData Protection Act.

It related to his illegal use of information for political purposes during the 1999 local election campaign when he warned that a Tory victory could cost pensioners their fare concessions.

On May 11 Cllr McDonald's supporters held a fundraising event in Bromsgrove, with concessions for the unemployed, to help him meet the fine.

Tory candidate Julie Kirkbride said: "I am astonished to learn he has so little shame for the criminal offence he committed against Bromsgrove people, that he believes others should pay his costs and fine."

She went on: "It appalls me even more that someone as well paid as him thinks it right to ask the unemployed to contribute towards a fine for his criminal offence."

Cllr McDonald retorted: "At the time I committed the offence I didn't know I was doing anything wrong.

"Since then I have paid the price for standing up for pensioners against a niggardly and miserley council which has stripped them of free travel.

"I have been approached by several senior citizens offering me cash towards my costs, but I have refused because unlike Julie Kirkbride and her Tory council I have no need to pick the pockets of senior citizens."