The Conservative candidate for Bournemouth West has hit out at vandals who have graffitied his election posters.

Conor Burns, who was elected as MP for the constituency in 2010 and 2015, tweeted about his signs being defaced on Monday.

One of the signs, which encouraged voters to re-elect him, has his name crossed out in black marker pen.

The phrases “Tory policy is evil” and “don’t vote Tory” were also written on the sign, and a ‘Vote Labour’ sticker had also been stuck in the middle.

Other signs had been scribbled over in red marker.

Tweeting about the signs Mr Burns said: “First time in my political life I’ve experienced organised vandalism and destruction of our posters.”

He also called for a kinder political process with the hashtag #kindergentlerpolitics.