‘STOP PERRY’ reads a Liberal Democrat poster board in Clinton Crescent, St Leonards after it was vandalised on Saturday. 

The middle two words in the slogan “Stop Brexit Vote Perry” have been blacked out and the other side of the double board has also been attacked with black paint.

Resident Susan Stoodley said: “It upset me at first.

“Given that black paint was required, it looks planned rather than an act of casual vandalism. My husband Jonathon and I will not be bullied and so our immediate reaction was to get a team of Lib Dems together and we delivered 500 Stop Brexit for a Brighter Future leaflets in the rain. We felt that was an appropriate and positive response.”

Paul Hunt, who is Nick Perry’s election agent, has logged the incident with Sussex Police who have informed the local police community team: “I’ve been running elections for over 40 years and such incidents usually mean that a campaign message is cutting through to voters. So we are encouraged.”