An election candidate standing to save a 107-year-old golf course says almost every rival has backed his campaign - apart from the incumbent Labour MP.

At the Lewisham West and Penge hustings held at the Honor Oak pub on April 30, every candidate faced questions from the electorate except Jim Dowd.

Mr Dowd had refused to take part, objecting to share a platform with vile far-right Liberty GB candidate George Whale. Two other hustings had already been cancelled over the same issue.

One candidate, David Hansom, is standing on the issue of keeping golf at Beckenham Place Park. Lewisham Council is proposing to axe the venue, inner London's only 18-hole public course.

And he said: "After the hustings, various members of the audience asked me if I had a petition that they could sign. 

"Although I'd not intended to gather signatures, I found I did have some sheets. About half those attending then signed the petition as well as the Lib Dem Alex Feakes, Conservative Russell Jackson, Green Tom Chance, Martin Powell-Davies from the TUSC and Gary Harding from UKIP. 

"George Whale had left the hustings quickly." 

News Shopper:

Mr Hansom, whose petition has around 3,300 signatures so far, added: "The fact that candidates from five of the other parties standing support my campaign suggests that their is popular support for the retaining the public golf course."

News Shopper has asked Mr Dowd for his opinion on the course, but he has not replied. He has not replied to any questions from News Shopper during the election campaign.

For more on Mr Hansom's campaign, visit his website.