A “FLABBERGASTED” Wychavon councillor could be subjected to scrutiny over leaked WhatsApp messages stating he had “retrieved” rival party leaflets.

Councillor Andrew Dyke, a Conservative who also serves on Evesham Town Council, posted that he had “retrieved three Labour leaflets” while out campaigning for the Worcestershire County Council election candidate for Evesham North West, Peter Griffiths.

Labour’s Helen Russell, who is standing against Mr Griffiths, confirmed she had been informed of the messages and expressed concern over the terms used by Cllr Dyke, stating her team would be “considering our options”, while Cllr Dyke promised a “witch hunt” to discover the source of the leak.

“I was sent the snapshot by a couple of people,” said Mrs Russell.

“It mentions retrieving leaflets, if that means taking them out of people’s letterboxes or porches without their consent then that is really concerning.

“Residents have a right to information from all parties and if a Conservative councillor is taking leaflets without permission then I would say that goes against the ethos of the Electoral Commission’s code of conduct which emphasises reasonable behaviour.

“I have signed up to the Jo Cox Foundation’s pledges over respect and civility during elections and if leaflets are being taken out of letterboxes then that shows a lack of respect for the electoral process.”

Mrs Russell said she had yet to approach Mr Dyke directly, adding: “We are considering our options. One would be to refer it to the body that regulates conduct during these processes.

“We would ask the local Conservative party to make it clear to members that election leaflets should not be removed from letterboxes and that people should play fair during the election.”

Mr Dyke recognised the messages had been sent by him but refuted any suggestion that he had taken any pamphlets that had not already been discarded.

“That message is from a closed WhatsApp group. I am now nervous about putting anything on that group,” he said.

“I am stunned really, absolutely flabbergasted, and so cross that someone would break confidence.

“The only thing I can think of is that I picked up some leaflets off the floor, they may have been around a bin, I honestly cannot remember.

“We will have a witch hunt as to who did it because someone has broken the confidence of a closed group, someone who has our confidence as a body of people.

“These are friends of Peter’s and other council colleagues. There are some very senior people on that list (in the group), how anyone could do that is beyond belief to me.

“I have no idea why they would make mischief like that.”