Gloucestershire police have put out a statement regarding political banners which have been hung outside the Ecotricity HQ in Stroud.

Banners have been put up over the railing at the front of the building and in the area which read 'For a Green Government vote Labour'.

Posting on Facebook, Ecotricity owner Dale Vince wrote: "Since putting a few banners up around Stroud we’ve been accused of breaking election funding law by a Tory councillor. It looks to be based on his lack of understanding of the rules or it’s mud slinging, hard to tell.

"Police came to our office and told our receptionist our banners were illegal, they didn’t leave their names unfortunately and we’re still trying to get a response from the police ourselves.

"Weirdly they instructed our receptionist that we need to add the words 'Dale Vince in care Ecotricity' to our banners. It’s not just the words that don’t make sense, we can find nothing in the rules to suggest we’re in breach of anything."

Gloucestershire police have responded. 

A spokesperson for the police said: "Gloucestershire Constabulary has received a complaint that election posters which are displayed on the Ecotricity building in Stroud are breaching the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act of 2000.

"Section 143 states that all promotional material has to display details of the printer and sponsor or displayer for transparency and accountability reasons.

"On this occasion it was found that the posters in question had breached the regulation and officers conducted a visit to raise this point and inform the owner.

"Guidance: the legislation can be found here https://bit.ly/2RryyxF Electoral Commission guidance can also be found here: https://bit.ly/2rZzMFy."