TWO LibDem election posters in gardens on the south side of Wellington have been set on fire.

The boards were set alight and either destroyed or damaged. Police described the combination of politics and arson as ‘potentially toxic’.

Cllr Keith Wheatley, part of the LibDem campaign team for the General Election, said: “This is disgusting and frightening behaviour from some misguided extremists. It is uncomfortable to feel that we share our town with people who will do this sort of thing.

“One of these boards was on fire less than 15ft from the householder’s front door. She was shaken when she saw the results of the attack and thought about what might have happened if the flames had spread.”

A second board in a street nearby was partially destroyed. This one was planted in a hedge which could have caught fire with serious consequences.

Mr Wheatley added: “We’ve had some petty vandalism of one or two signs since the General Election campaign began but this sort of thing is at another level. There is so much anger and hostility out there and it needs to stop.”

Police have asked for anyone with information about the attacks to  contact them using the 101 number, quoting incident number AS-20191127-0360.