POLICE have appealed for witnesses and information after an election candidate reported being assaulted outside a polling station in Lye as people went to cast their votes.

Liberal Democrat candidate Abdul Qadus, who was a candidate in the Brierley Hill area, had been helping colleagues in the Lye area on voting day.

The political stalwart, who was once a Conservative councillor on Dudley Council but is currently deputy chairman of Dudley’s Liberal Democrats, says he was grabbed and assaulted in Crosswalks just after 6pm on polling day (Thursday May 2) which resulted in the borough’s Lib Dems claiming three council seats – up from the one solitary seat they’d held previously.

The victory has also left the Liberal Democrats looking like they’ll play the role of kingmakers in the aftermath of the election which has left the local authority in no overall control – with both Labour and the Conservatives walking away with 34 councillors each.

Mr Qadus, of Stourbridge, said he reported the polling day incident to police and he told the News the attack was "politically motivated".

He said: “This kind of bullying – especially on election day – should not be tolerated.

“When people resort to violence there’s no turning back – they’ll do it to someone else. We’re supposed to be a democracy with freedom of speech and expression.”

He said he was thrown on the bonnet of a car during the incident and sustained an injury to his right arm.

West Midlands Police have confirmed the incident was reported to them and a spokesperson for the force said: “We’re investigating after a man was assaulted at Crosswalks, Lye, just after 6pm on Thursday evening (May 2).

“A 66-year-old man was approached by another man who shouted at him then pushed him against a car, causing injury to his right arm and back, before making off.

“Anyone with information should contact us by calling 101 or via Live Chat on our website and quote crime reference 20/467261/24. “