FIFE PARENTS are up in arms after political campaigners invaded a primary school playground, handed out balloons and took pictures of children, writes Steve Bargeton, political editor.

On Monday afternoon the Liberal Democrat candidate in the Dunfermline and West Fife by-election, Willie Rennie, and a group of campaigners entered the playground without permission.

Leaflets and balloons were handed out and photographs taken at the school, which The Courier has chosen not to name.

Angry parents complained to the headteacher and the digital photographs were destroyed.

In a letter to parents, the headteacher expressed her “concern” at the incident and said she had reported the matter to Fife Council.

“I am aware many of you were concerned, as I was myself, about the political canvassing that took place in our school playground yesterday afternoon,” she wrote.

“I have contacted our head of service to make him aware of what has happened and I know he has contacted the education spokesperson for the party involved.”

Yesterday Paul Rainger, director of campaigning for the Liberal Democrats, admitted the incident had taken place.

“We had a visit to the primary school on that afternoon,” he said.

“There is a narrow pavement outside and they did step into the playground.

“I would normally say not to go inside a playground.

“The campaigners were not as strongly briefed as they should have been.”

Mr Rainger added, “Probably they shouldn’t have done that at the end of the day.”

He said an “overkeen” activist had taken a photograph of Mr Rennie talking to a parent.

“Another parent was unhappy that potentially their child may have been in the photograph, so the photos were deleted,” he said.

He said Mr Rennie spoke to the head teacher at the school and, he understood, “everyone left happy.”

The deputy returning officer for Fife, Iain Grant, said, “I can confirm there was an incident earlier this week which involved election campaigning at a Fife Council primary school.

“We work closely with all political parties and their agents to ensure they respect the guidelines in place during the election period.

“One of these rules is that no Fife Council premises may be used for political publicity purposes.

“The head teacher of the school involved acted correctly in this case and the matter will be taken up with the political party involved at the first possible opportunity to ensure there is no repeat in the run-up to the by-election.”