LABOUR chiefs have accused Warrington North's Tory candidate of using her body to hide a 'not in service' sign on a defibrillator during a 'publicity stunt'.

On May 5, Croft Parish Council welcomed the installation of a new defibrillator after it was fitted to the wall of the toilet block by Croft playing field, opposite the Horseshoe Inn pub, on Smithy Lane.

Parish council chairman Val Allen, who will be standing for the Conservatives in Warrington North, said it was her 'leadership' that helped secure the life-saving device.

She welcomed its arrival by releasing a photograph of herself next to it.

But Warrington North Labour Party has slammed the Tory candidate for using her body to 'mask' a 'not in service' sign during the 'publicity stunt'.

A spokesman said: "The Conservative candidate has caused more than a few raised eyebrows in Croft by trying to publicise a defibrillator which isn't actually operational yet.

"In fact, her distinctly odd pose on a recent photograph can be explained by the fact that she was using her shoulder to hide the 'not in service' sign.

"Her desperate attempt to generate self-publicity has also offended members of the community and charitable organisations, who were closely involved with delivering this important resource for the village.

"Tory claims that 'her leadership' alone brought a defibrillator to Croft shows that her campaign has flat-lined before it has even begun.

"Residents know that, at the end of the day, the Tory candidate struggles to chair a parish council.

"The idea of her representing anyone in Parliament is a risk we simply cannot afford to take."

A spokesman for Warrington North Conservatives hit back.

He said: "We are grateful to Jeremy Corbyn's candidate for her public service announcement in pointing out that the automated external defibrillator in Croft has been installed but is still going through the process of registration.

"We did point this out in our earlier release but not everyone may have picked up on it.

"We can well understand why Jeremy Corbyn's campaign team in Warrington North would prefer to invent an argument about a sign on a defibrillator rather than explain why the people of this town should vote for Jeremy Corbyn and his candidate here."