SNP posters were ripped down from two private properties in Saltcoats and Ardrossan in what a local candidate has described as “a clear attempt to influence the council election” and “on the admission of the Labour administration”.

At least 70 posters erected by Tony Gurney were mistakenly removed from The Metro by North Ayrshire Council.

The authority have admitted their mistake and said that the posters were taken down in error and were “100 per cent” nothing to do with any elected members.

But after posters on private land next to Asda were stolen, Mr Gurney says that he believes there has been a deliberate attempt by elected members to sabotage his election campaign.

Mr Gurney, who is standing for re-election to the Ardrossan and Arran Ward, told the Herald: “This is quite serious because it shouldn’t have happened.

“The council have no power to remove posters from private property. It is improper.

“The council have the power to take down posters from public property, such as lamposts, but not private property.

“We had permission from the owner of the Metro building.

“We wouldn’t have this problem if Labour and the Tories and the Independents hadn’t all voted together to ban everybody from putting up election posters.

“That is why we put them up on private properties where we had permission.

“The posters at Asda were stolen within a day. The other ones at the Metro were removed by North Ayrshire Council at the insistence of a local elected member.”

A North Ayrshire Council spokesperson said: “Any political campaigning material that appears on council property will be removed at the earliest opportunity.

“We don’t have the power to remove campaigning materials from private property.

“All posters and advertising material must contain information about who produced it to ensure there is transparency about who is campaigning.

“It is a criminal offence not to have this detail – known as an Imprint – on posters.

“These posters in Saltcoats were taken down in error. ”

The Herald had received complaints this week from a local resident who said that the number of posters on the Metro building made the town “look messy”.

When we put these complaints to Tony Gurney, he said: “That’s an aesthetic opinion.

“To be fair, they are for the election and the rules are that they’re to come down within 14 days.”