A councillor standing in this year's local elections has been blasted on social media after he was caught on domestic CCTV removing an opposition leaflet from someone's letterbox.

Cllr David Whipp, the current leader of Pendle Liberal Democrats and deputy leader of Pendle Council, was on Tuesday, seen taking a Conservative leaflet out of a letterbox and replacing it with his own.

CCTV of the incident was posted on social media and stills from the footage shared widely among Pendle residents.

Cllr Whipp, who is standing for re-election in the Earby and Coates ward, admitted he removed the leaflet but then said it had later been returned to the letterbox.

The householder whose letterbox the leaflet was taken from said: "If someone takes something out if your letterbox on the wall attched to your house and puts it in their pocket what would you call that?

"Just that my security camera has just alerted me that someone was on my property and when I looked it was a local councillor taking something which was probably a Conservative flyer out the letterbox and into his pocket."

One social media user said: "Local town councillor David Whipp was caught stealing Conservative party leaflets from household letterboxes in Barnoldswick and pocketing them to then replace with his own party's leaflets.

"There's CCTV footage widely available."

While another resident said: "Barnoldswick Liberal Democrats Councillor David Whipp caught on camera taking Conservative leaflet out of someone's letterbox and putting in his pocket and leaving, how many more has he taken from letterboxes and not been caught?"

Cllr Whipp said on social media it was him in the footage. He said: "I cannot tell a lie, that was me.

"There was a leaflet hanging out of a letter box on a street I delivered this afternoon.

"I couldn't bring myself to redeliver it as it was from the opposition.

"The leaflet has been returned to the letterbox.

"There were quite a few of those leaflets lying about on people's paths.

"I didn't want more littering the area."

However, he faced a backlash with many people stating that he needed to be held accountable for his actions.

One person wrote: "The point being you took it and put it in your pocket and as you stated it was the opposition.

"We all have the right to make up our own minds who we will vote for

"Dirty tricks is what springs to mind Mr Whipp and you should be ashamed.

"Start playing fair. I've lost respect for you and you've only fessed up because you were caught red handed.

"Absolutely disgusted."

While another social media user said: ""The opposition" we need to learn to do politics differently.

"Seeing each political party's representatives as the enemy is so unhelpful.

"A good council should contain a range of representatives from different parties working together and bringing their different viewpoints."