As election campaigning reaches fever pitch across the UK, party activists in Abergavenny have been berated for ‘ambushing’ weekend shoppers.

In a letter to the Chronicle, Philip Highy says his visit to the town last Saturday morning was ruined by Conservative and Labour canvassers and he couldn’t escape fast enough.

“I was disgusted to be ambushed by campaigners for the Conservatives and Labour who simply put what I can only describe as a human blockade across the street near the Town Hall trying to canvass for votes,” he said.

“To pass through this area was like trying to run the gauntlet.

“If the town council granted permission for them to be out campaigning across the street like that then they should be ashamed of themselves.

“If the campaigners had kept to the area set back from the main walkway then that would have been fine but to be challenging both locals and tourists as they were was not the type of experience I was expecting in a market town like Abergavenny.

“I could not get out the town area fast enough.”

Martyn Groucutt, organiser of the Labour Party street stall on Saturday morning, who is a member of both Abergavenny Town and Monmouthshire County Councils said in a letter to Mr Highy, “I am sorry that you were caused upset by the political campaigning in town. Around the country there are different styles of campaigning and activities, but in the Monmouth constituency street stalls such as those you saw have been a regular feature of political life for many years in the Labour Party. They may not feature in your own constituency, but I would be shocked if there had not been some equivalent form of campaigning in your major centres of population on a Saturday morning so close to election day.

“In Abergavenny street stalls are seen as part of the process through which party activists talk to potential voters, to explain the policies of their party and to answer questions. They are usually conducted in a spirit of fun – hence the balloons and bunting on our Labour Party stall - and as such are generally seen in a positive light by a large majority of people.

“I hope you can see that it would be severely counter-productive if we were to antagonise those who we seek to influence and indeed the feedback I have received from Saturday morning has been very positive. Yours is the only complaint I have received, but let me assure you that does not mean that I take it lightly, hence my personal reply to you.

“The fact that you were met by a ‘double whammy’ of Labour and Conservative next to each other meant that there were far more activists than you would have met had only one of the parties been present.”

Mr Groucott said he noted that Mr Highy had sent his email of complaint to the town clerk, but permission for such street activity was actually a responsibility of the County Council’s highways department. Not only were Highways required to give their permission for this particular activity but there were legal requirements before the event could take place, such as the duty to have public liability insurance to the tune of several million pounds.

He said the Labour Party met all such requirements and, after careful liaison with the appropriate officer in Highways, they were given permission for their whole programme of street stalls during the election campaign.

“I must say that I find it unlikely that similar permission to set up in exactly the same location would have been given to our opposition,” he said. “It is with regret that the local Conservative Party, including their local Member of Parliament and their Welsh Government elected member, were present in the same venue at the same time, but please let me reiterate that the Labour Party had full permission for its stall and repeat that I am sorry if you were caused offence.”

David Davies, the Conservative’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Monmouth said in response to Mr Highy’s comments, “On the day there were a number of Conservative, Labour and also some Green Party activists all campaigning in the same spot. We were there for several hours.

“There were no cross words exchanged between ourselves. We spoke to each other in a civilised fashion and even exchanged a few jokes.

“I appreciate that you may have felt inconvenienced but we all felt it was important to be able to convey our different messages to the people who live in our community.”

He added, “I checked with the council and was told that we did not need permission.

“There is an election on and I think people expect to be able to see the candidates. If we were not out campaigning then people would rightly be accusing us of hiding away.”