VICTOR the veal calf sparked a split when he came to Bolton trying to win votes for an animal rights' charter yesterday.

Compassion in World Farming brought Victor to Nelson Square as part of their pre-election tour of key marginal seats.

Both Labour and Liberal Democrat candidates put their mark on a giant voting slip and agreed to be be pictured posting their vote into a Victor ballot box.

But Conservative candidate Tom Sackville, who was brought up on a Sussex dairy farm, and his Tory colleague, Paul Carter, turned up but refused to vote for the charter.

Mr Sackville said: "I come from a farming family and have to look into this more closely. I do not think I can support everything in this manifesto."

But CIWF campaigns manager, Richard Hardy, claimed the proposed reforms were necessary and said political supporters had found their cause a vote winner.

"People have been shocked by issues such as live exports and intensive poultry farming," he said.

"We believe the public will give their vote to candidates who support our efforts to improve animal welfare."

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