Read all about it! Lib Dem poll hopeful 'fakes' Evening News

A LIBERAL Democrat hopeful in the next Scottish Parliament elections has been accused of trying to pass off his campaign newsletter as the Evening News.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Lib Dem candidate in Edinburgh Central, has called his tabloid-format leaflet "Edinburgh City News" with the name printed on a blue background in the top left-hand corner of the page, similar to the News masthead. Underneath, it says: "Your local free paper."

Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray said: "The Liberal Democrats have stooped to an all-time low. As their popularity hits only four per cent they are trying to use the good name and title of the Evening News to tempt residents to read their propaganda newspaper.

"With the latest council budget closing nurseries, slashing education and charging the poorest pensioners even more for garden aid, alongside the national Lib Dems breaking all their promises and discarding all their values to prop up the most right wing of Tory governments, it is little wonder that local people are upset at them."

He said the leaflet had been wrongly delivered to homes outside Edinburgh Central, in the Edinburgh Southern seat.

He said: "This latest attempt to steal the Evening News look to paper over their own cracks really shows how far the Lib Dems have come in only nine months. They can't even get it delivered to the correct constituencies."

Mr Cole-Hamilton insisted his newsletter was not modelled on the Evening News and dismissed Labour's comments.

He said: "They're a bit late with this. We've put out four editions of the paper since August. It's not trying to rip off any newspaper. Anyone can see it's a political leaflet - it's four pages long and I'm the only person who appears in every single picture.

"I'm confident the good people of Edinburgh are not so gullible as to believe they are receiving a free copy of the Evening News which endorses me on every page.

"I'm sorry the Labour Party has been upset by this."

Mr Cole-Hamilton acknowledged some leaflets had been delivered to the wrong addresses, but said it was down to the Royal Mail.

He said: "We have asked them not to deliver to these places, but once we give it to the Royal Mail it is out of our hands."

Tom Little, editor of the Evening News, said: "They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but from what I have seen of the Lib Dems' newspaper, they have a bit of work to do if they really want to mimic the News."