A FORMER Conservative MP is threatening legal action over claims about the Weymouth relief road published in a Labour campaign newsletter just before a council by-election.

Ian Bruce, who represented South Dorset until 2001, took offence at the October edition of Labour's the Wey Valley Rose and demanded that an apology is delivered before the borough council by-election tomorrow.

He was incensed by the declaration, published by Councillor Kay Wilcox, that South Dorset MP Jim Knight had made more progress on the Dorchester Road relief road than Mr Bruce had in 14 years.

Coun Wilcox, party agent for the Labour candidate Sharon Mitchell in the Wey Valley by-election tomorrow, is refusing to meet Mr Bruce's demands to publish an apology or retract her statements.

Last month the government gave approval to Dorset County Council's funding plans for the £54.6 million road after years of lobbying.

But Mr Bruce pointed out seven alleged 'lies' contained in the leaflet and said that the council is now 'back to square one' because they have to submit a scheme similar to one thrown out in 1988.

He said: "At the moment I would say that maybe we have a 25 per cent chance of saying that we will get our road out of a Labour government."

The former MP claims that all the plans for the relief road were in place before Labour came to power in the General Election and the Government has stalled the process every year since.

Mr Bruce said: "What galls me is that the people now making these claims are former Labour councillors who did such a good job in the first place to persuade the Labour Government to approve the now rejected scheme."

Coun Wilcox, a long-time relief road campaigner, said: "I have taken legal advice and I am assured that there isn't anything substantial to worry about. The first statement is fairly subjective but the rest is a statement of fact. We are closer now to getting the road than we have ever been."

Mr Knight described Mr Bruce's claims as 'laughable' and said the leaflets were 'fine'. "I don't want to get dragged into any of the mire," he said. "We had 18 years of Tory government but we never had the money until this government came along."

Although compulsory purchase orders and planning permission was given in 1997 and has since lapsed, finance for the project has only been secured this year. The road is expected to open in 2010.

Rod Turner, Dorset County Council's project manager for the relief route, said: "We are hopeful that we will get a road. There are a series of hurdles in place and final finance will not be given until the process is complete, but this process is ongoing."

He added: "Jim Knight has been helpful in the approval process."

The Wey Valley by-election is being held following the resignation of ward councillor Ian Strong.