A POLICE probe has launched after smear campaign stickers linking the Labour Party to paedophiles appeared across the city - with a council candidate being questioned.

In recent months these labels have been found stuck on lampposts across Worcester, with West Mercia Police now deciding to intervene.

We can reveal how Carl Mason, a gas engineer who used to run the city's British National Party branch, was visited by officers on Saturday evening.

The 50-year-old, of Keble Close, has admitted producing "around 2,000" of the stickers in recent years to sell them on, but insists he has not put them up on any of the lampposts himself.

The stickers, which have been spotted in areas like Tolladine, St John's and St Peter's, makes bizarre claims about Labour being a 'paedo party' and features details of a website detailing court cases for child sexual offences involving its former councillors nationwide.

Worcester Labour Party, which made the complaint to police on the grounds of it being malicious, says increasing numbers of its members have been complaining about the stickers.

But Mr Mason, of Keble Close, who is standing in the local elections in May, has hit out at his treatment and says he wants to be left alone.

"Between five and six o'clock two coppers knocked on the door and I think they were embarrassed to be there, to be honest," he said.

"They said 'we're not charging you, you are not under arrest, we just want to ask you some questions'.

"They told me they'd had a complaint from Worcester Labour Party, and I said I've seen them around town.

"I did get stickers printed and sold them on the internet a couple of years ago but I haven't been putting them up anywhere, it's a total waste of police time."

Labour Party sources said they felt the stickers have gone too far and need to be stopped.

Roger Jenkins, the branch secretary, said today: "Technically it was an individual of the party who made a police complaint, but I can't divulge who.

"But we've had members of the party contact the branch about them, several of them weren't even active members."

Worcester City Council has been taking down some of the stickers in recent months when staff spot them, saying the tactic is illegal flyposting.

A council spokesman said: "Whenever we come across them they are removed, this is illegal flyposting."

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said they were unable to confirm what stage the probe was today.

Mr Mason has tried to get elected onto the city council for the BNP, and is standing in Nunnery this May for the newly-formed 'British Resistance Party'.

The right-wing party is also expected to contest Gorse and Hill and St John's for this year's local elections on Thursday, May 5.