WINCHESTER Tory candidate George Hollingbery has ended his controversial hijacking of his opponent's name on the Internet.

Mr Hollingbery sparked anger when he registered a fake address for Liberal Democrat rival Mark Oaten.

Anyone keying in www.markoaten.co.uk was diverted to Mr Hollingbery's website. Mr Oaten branded it a pathetic dirty trick.

The Daily Echo broke the story on Tuesday and Mr Hollingbery had insisted he would keep up the hijack, saying: "I'm not fighting dirty, this is just creative thinking."

Today Mr Hollingbery said he had taken down the link last night after reading Mr Oaten's comments in the Daily Echo yesterday.

He said: "I have taken it down. I thought Mark's words yesterday were so pleasant that I didn't have any alternative. He is playing it very straight and it is time to move on."

Mr Hollingbery denied he had buckled to pressure from Conservative headquarters. "An instruction by the whips was made to my agent that it was contrary to our Internet policy but I assure you I had already reached the decision."

A spokesman for Mr Oaten said today: "It is a matter for George and the Tories. Mark just wants his name back and to get on with the campaign."