A Labour party campaigner personally backed by Jeremy Corbyn has been caught on a doorbell camera sneakily stealing a Tory campaign leaflet from a letterbox – and replacing it with one of his own.
George Elcock was seen posting leaflets for Labour hopeful Laura McAlpine before finding a flyer for her Tory rival in Vicky Hughes’ letterbox and appearing to pull it out, stuff it in his pocket, and replace it with a Labour one.
The furious homeowner, 46, from Harlow in Essex, chased the campaigner down the street after watching back the footage and claims he begged her to keep it a secret.
Mr Elcock, a trainee organiser, was backed by Mr Corbyn in September 2017, when the Labour leader tweeted a photo of them together when he was running to be a local councillor
Mrs Hughes was at home with her wife, Adele, 34, (pictured) on Thursday when she heard the doorbell sound at their home. She couldn’t reach the door so watched the footage instead
Mrs Hughes – pictured with her wife Adele, said this and similar incidents would ‘injure the credibility’ of Labour
Mr Elcock, a trainee organiser, who helps oversee local campaigning activity, was backed by Mr Corbyn in September 2017, when the Labour leader tweeted a photo of them together when he was running to be a local councillor.
Mother-of-two Mrs Hughes branded the move ‘cheap tactics’ and was an attempt to ‘sway’ her vote.
She said: ‘The doorbell camera came up on my phone and when I watched it I was gobsmacked. I was absolutely horrified. I had to check twice. I saw him put his hand into my locked letterbox and take something.
‘It’s theft and it is absolutely disgraceful. I can’t believe that someone who works for the Labour Party has the cheek to steal someone else’s property.
‘It was a cheap tactic and he was trying to sway my vote. I honestly think it’s absolutely appalling.’
Mrs Hughes was at home with her wife, Adele, 34, on Thursday when she heard the doorbell sound at their home.
She couldn’t get to the door, so used her phone to view the Ring CCTV camera which pointed towards her letterbox.
A Labour party campaigner personally backed by Jeremy Corbyn has been caught on a doorbell camera sneakily stealing a Tory campaign leaflet from a letterbox – and replacing it with one of his own
Vicky Hughes, 46, from Harlow in Essex, chased the campaigner down the street after watching back the footage and claims he begged her to keep it a secret
Mr Elcock is listed on Facebook as a trainee organiser for Labour, and is seen here wearing a Corbyn t-shirt
The footage showed him wait, look around, pocket something from the locked letterbox, and then put another leaflet back in.
The video then showed Mrs Hughes run out the door after him, and she said she confronted him in the street.
The mother, who has two children, Chloe, 20 and Joel, 15, said: ‘I went up to him and told him what I saw him do. I said “I saw you take something out of my letterbox and put it in your pocket”.
‘He said “I am really sorry, it was a Conservative leaflet I took”. He begged me not to tell anyone. He said he would lose his job if anyone found out.
‘He represents the people and I can’t believe that someone in his position would do something like this. He tried to take my choice away from me. As a voter I am entitled to make my own mind up.’
Mrs Hughes said this and similar incidents would ‘injure the credibility’ of Labour.
She said: ‘He could have taken a private letter. It could have been anything or something really important.
‘I expect so much better from someone who represents the people. I am definitely not voting for Labour now and my daughter has said the same.
‘This tried to restrict our voting. We should have the freedom to decide on our own. I am seething about it, it has made me really angry.’
Mr Elcock is listed on Facebook as a trainee organiser for Labour, and his profile photo shows him wearing a t-shirt with Corbyn’s face on it.
The leaflet for Harlow MP Robert Halfon (left) and the Labour leaflet (right) that Mr Elcock replaced it with
He was the Labour Party candidate in the 2018 Thurrock Council elections but lost out to his Conservative rival in Stanford East & Corringham Town.
In 2017, Mr Corbyn tweeted a photo of himself with the candidate which said: ‘Great to meet stallholders and locals on Grays High Street with George Elcock – Labour’s Council candidate for @ThurrockLabour.’
Mr Elcock has since made the snap his Facebook profile pic.
East of England Labour Party press office has not responded to a request for comment.
Laura McAlpine and Mr Elcock are yet to be reached for comment.