A COURT case involving a councillor who was accused of slapping an elderly election candidate has been delayed.

Mike Beggs is demanding £7,500 from Cllr Penny Jackman to cover the cost of repairs to his dentures, which he says were badly damaged in the incident.

The two-day hearing at Southampton County Court was due to start tomorrow but has been delayed because no judge is available.

Mr Beggs, 75, of Sway, said: “It's very unsettling to have the case cancelled at such short notice.

“This not only disturbing to me and Cllr Jackman, but to the witnesses who have been summoned to attend.

“At least one has made expensive travel plans which it is too late to cancel. This can only increase the costs of the case even more.”

Cllr Jackman is a member of New Forest District Council, Lymington and Pennington Town Council and the New Forest National Park Authority.

Mr Beggs was a UKIP candidate in a 2012 town council by-election won by Tory Michael White.

As reported in the Daily Echo, Cllr Jackman and Mr Beggs were at the count when they clashed over his election leaflets.

The literature referred to a council meeting at which she said “Let’s shut them down” during a debate on plans to evict Lymington Cricket Club from the town centre ground it had occupied for 175 years.

In a statement issued at the time Cllr Jackman said she “deeply regretted” the incident involving Mr Beggs.

She was later arrested on suspicion of assault and stepped down as chairman of the council’s amenities committee.

Police decided to take no further action but Mr Beggs has continued to demand compensation.

No new date for the court case has been set.