ELECTION signs promoting Welsh secretary David Davies are disappearing from sites across his home county.
Conservative supporters have reported signs being removed or vandalised from locations as far apart as Trellech, near Monmouth, and Usk more than 10 miles away by road.
Monmouthshire is one of the key battleground seats in Wales at the general election and is being heavily targeted by Labour despite Mr Davies having a majority 9,982 from 2019 when it was fought on different boundaries which didn’t include areas such as Caldicot in the south west of the county.
Mr Davies, who was first elected to Parliament in 2005 when he took the Monmouth seat from Labour, claimed the removal of the signs was anti-democratic.
He said: “This is completely unacceptable behaviour and cannot be tolerated in a democratic society.
“My principles and values are shared by thousands of people across the whole of Monmouthshire.
“The opposition parties won’t want to hear it. But I will continue to stand up to the Labour Welsh Government.”
Mr Davies highlighted his opposition to the default 20 mile per hour speed limit in residential areas in Wales, which the Conservatives have claimed they would over rule the Senedd to overturn, funding for the NHS and the expansion of the Senedd as areas where he has challenged the Welsh Government.
He added: “I will not be silenced. I will continue to stand up for the true interests of Monmouthshire.”
Conservative Senedd Member for Monmouth, Peter Fox, said a field near Trellech, where posts have been left in the ground and posters promoting Mr Davies removed, has been used by the party for years.
He said: “All of the posters were put up with the landowners’ permission we are always careful to obtain that.
“Many of our posters are also asked for by the owners. The one pictured is a site we’ve used for many elections and the posters were erected by our campaign team.
“This was the same for a run of five ripped down and removed at Llanlowell near Usk. Those particular ones have been replaced now. There are other examples around the county that already have been vandalised or removed.”
There is no indication who is responsible for the removal or damage to any signs but a press release issued by Mr Davies warned “this is an illicit offence and classed as criminal damage, which could lead to prosecution”.
Illicit means not allowed by law.
Mr Fox said he hasn’t as yet reported the removal of the signs to the police.
