Thaindian News

London, Apr 23 (ANI): A Liberal Democrat local election candidate in Britain has left her party red-faced after she posted raunchy pictures of herself posing in fetish gear on the Internet.

The semi-naked photographs of Holly-Ann Battye, which show her lying on her back with a ball gag in her mouth and cupping her breasts, appeared this week on the website DeviantArt, under the user name HollyTheWolly.

Other Gothic-themed shots of the candidate for the South Northants Council ward of Cosgrove and Grafton are disturbingly captioned ‘I kill’, ‘Voodoo’ and ‘Make It Bleed’.

Battye, who has defended her “artwork”, claims political opponents are using it against her as part of a personal attack on her character

“I find it reprehensible that narrow-minded local Tories would seek to stifle proper political debate on their inadequate record while running SNC (South Northants Council),” the Daily Mail quoted her as saying.

“By deflecting people from the real issues they are trying to hide their failure to deliver decent services while spending money on grand new offices for themselves,” she said.

In several images Battye is seen with blood dripping from her lips or pouting at the camera.

“My artwork has nothing to do with this campaign but this slur has everything to do with the Tories feeling threatened,” she said.

“I suppose they would prefer it if there was no democracy and only Tory candidates could stand, like in many of the seats across this ‘rotten borough’ they have created,” she stated.

The photographs emerged just two weeks before the country is due to go to the polls in the local elections on May 5.

But Conservative candidate Ian McCord, who is standing against Battye, dismissed her remarks.

“The Lib Dem candidate shows the dangers of social media websites, but it is irrelevant. This election is about policy and the direction of the council in the next few years,” he said.

“I have not heard a single alternative policy idea, nothing on the level of the Council Tax, planning, re-generation of our towns, or making this district one of the best places to live in the country.

“I look forward to debating these issues,” he stated.

Jane Hollis, chairman of the South Northants Lib Dems who is standing in the Castle ward in Northampton, stood by her candidate.

“At the end of the day she is an artist and she sells images as a business. She is young and what I want to see is a refreshing change to all the elderly Tories sat on the SNC council,” she added. (ANI)