Eastleigh'S Conservative candidate, Conor Burns, has called for the election campaign to be "honest".

His move came following recent Lib Dem leaflets claiming to have "saved" all the area's greenfields.

Mr Burns said: "The builders are moving into Dowd's Farm to build 700 houses. This is a greenfield site.

"At the meeting to decide this, Conservative councillors Jerry Hall and Steven Broomfield voted against building on this greenfield site.

"It was then voted through by Lib Dem councillors. It is dishonest now to say they have saved all the greenfields.

He added: "To be honest, I don't blame Lib Dem candidate Chris Huhne. After all, he hadn't even moved into the area from London when this decision was taken.

"But he does have a duty to check local facts on local matters before wading into things."

But Mr Huhne hit back saying the real issue is not Dowd's Farm at Hedge End, but whether or not there is a major development area in Allington Lane.

He said: "Although the Conservative candidate says he is against greenfield development, it is still official county council policy to build at Allington.

"That would remove the last remaining green space between Eastleigh, Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and West End and be a step on the road to Solent City, which no one wants to see.

"I find it astonishing that the Conservative candidate is departing with so many issues on the policy set by his colleagues. They know that the only party which has stopped development in this area in Allington Lane are the Liberal Democrats."