Lager has been the subject of many great advertising slogans.

But the latest poster campaign to hit the streets of Witham has flummoxed residents.

Although the next council elections are almost three years off, confused voters awoke yesterday to the sight of posters apparently campaigning for the re-election of Michael Lager, deputy leader of Braintree Council and Witham's only Conservative town and district councillor.

While the town slept, the previous night a mystery flyposter had been on the rampage in the unseasonably bad weather, stickering lampposts all along Braintree Road between the Conservative Party constituency office and Safeway store.

The illegal posters stated: "Michael Lager A strong voice - Caring for the environment." At the bottom was the supposed address of a Conservative Party website which does not exist.

Mr Lager, who said he knew nothing about the posters, has been a strong critic of fly-posting and since joining Braintree Council's cabinet has advocated the new administration's crackdown on the illegal activity.

The bemused councillor told the Evening Gazette: "It's completely daft, they're rather poor forgeries because they don't bear the proper imprint and look like they were done on a home computer."

John Gyford, Labour district councillor for Witham north, said he was "baffled" by the mysterious poster campaign, adding: "Since the Tory administration at Causeway House is trying to tackle the problem of fly-posting, this does seem a bit bizarre."

Published Wednesday August 11, 2004

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