AN arson attack on an election billboard at a Weymouth pensioner’s home has sparked fears of sabotage in the Parliamentary campaign.

A placard supporting South Dorset’s Labour candidate Jim Knight was set alight as 76-year-old Roy Berry lay asleep in his bed.

Mr Berry, of Newstead Road, Westham, was woken by the emergency services in the early hours of yesterday morning as the flames gripped the placard outside his home.

A Liberal Democrat poster on the side of a nearby building was also set on fire in what is believed to be a related attack.

Jim Knight’s press officer Scott Langdon has described the attack as ‘sabotage’ and said dozens of other Labour placards had been vandalised across Weymouth.

Labour’s election rivals have condemned the attacks and warned it could be the start of a ‘dirty election’ campaign.

Mr Berry, a retired baker, said the placard and his garden trellis ‘went up like a fire bomb’. He said: “I found out when the police knocked at the door at 3am – I wondered who it was at that time of the morning.

“The fire could have spread into the rubbish bins, which were behind it, and I’m lucky it didn’t spread to the house.”

Police received a call at around 3am on Thursday and two fire crews from Weymouth attended to extinguish the blaze.

Officers arrived to also discover the Lib-Dem poster on fire but the building, also in Newstead Road, had not caught alight.

Mr Knight said: “Obviously any kind of attack on a property by vandals is something that we will all be shocked by and wouldn’t want to see happen to anyone’s posters.

“I have been really pleased with the number of people wanting to have posters supporting me in their gardens and by and large it happens without any problem.”

The attacks are reminiscent of the 2005 election campaign when vandals ripped down and scrawled offensive graffiti on party placards.

Mr Knight said the number of incidents had escalated this year. “We hope it doesn’t diminish people’s desire to show their support for the politician of their choice,” he said.

But the Conservative and Lib Dem candidates have reported a drop in attacks, suggesting the vandals are specifically targeting Labour.

Lib-Dem candidate Ros Kayes said: “One hopes that it’s only individuals and not motivated by any organisation. If it were motivated by an organisation, then people don’t want a dirty election this time around – they want honest politics.

“I would say there is quite a lot of anti-Labour feeling at the moment so that might explain it.”

Tory Richard Drax said: “I would not condone this for one second – it is an illegal act and that is not the fight I’m having.

“The Conservatives have always had a strong tradition of decency and honesty and there is no way we are going to have any members of our association actively going around destroying the oppositions’ poster – it’s ludicrous.”

Mr Berry said he has been left feeling vulnerable after the attack, but said it would not stop him from showing his support.

“I will be putting another one up,” he said.

“I’m not letting them deter me. I have been supporting Jim Knight ever since he has been here so I don’t see why I should change.”

PC Kevin Eames of Weymouth police said: “All of these signs belong to someone and they cost money. If a complaint is made and we know who the offender is they will be dealt with.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police in confidence on 01305 222222 or Crimestoppers.