POLICE have been unable to find the person who put up posters on election day urging people not to vote for former town councillor Dave Cawley.

Neil Blackhurst, fraud unit manager of Devon and Cornwall Police serious and organised crime branch, said: 'The person who placed the posters on election day has not been identified.

'No criminal offence has been identified, as previously stated, and no further investigation will take place unless new evidence of a criminal offence comes to light.'

Police inquiries have been going on after the Electoral Commission in London said that whoever was responsible for the posters could be breaking the law.

Mr Cawley made a request for the returning officer at South Hams Council to investigate when campaign publicity material without an imprint was put up at the Guildhall polling station and elsewhere in the town.

The posters said 'If you love our tourist information centre, do not vote for Dave Cawley' – a reference to earlier criticisms made by Mr Cawley about the TIC.

One of those interviewed was former BID manager Francesca Johnson, who described the experience on her Facebook page as 'very surreal yet amusing'.

'Although I think both parties felt "what a waste of police time",' she posted. 'I don't think I need to start baking cakes with files hidden in them just yet...'