A GENERAL election candidate has been slammed for resuming his campaign following last week’s terror attack in Manchester, even though he appeared to be following party guidance.

Conservative James Duddridge, who is fighting to retain the Rochford and Southend East seat, was seen at the Asda in Shoebury on Thursday urging people to vote for him.

All major parties had suspended their general election campaign following the attack at the Manchester Arena on Monday.

However, on Wednesday a Conservative Party spokesman said while the national campaign, involving party leaders, would not begin again until Friday, local candidates could begin canvassing after Thursday’s silence at 11am.

The spokesman said: “The Conservative Party will resume local campaigning for the General Election at noon tomorrow, after the minute’s silence to remember all those who lost their lives and others who were affected by the callous attack on innocent life in Manchester. National campaigning will resume on Friday.”

However, independent Southend councillor Martin Terry, who is also the election agent for independent Parliamentary candidate Ron Woodley, believed the reference to “local campaigning” only applied to the Shoebury by-election. He then fired off a complaint to Tory headquarters, demanding an apology from Mr Duddridge.

He wrote: “I think it is utterly disrespectful and disgraceful to the memory of those murdered in Manchester do (sic) this on a day of national silence when it was announced by the Conservative and Unionist Party and others that national campaigning would be suspended until today.

“There was a by-election being held locally but it seems that James Duddridge took it upon himself to ignore the feelings of people for his own mercenary re-election purposes.

“The messaging he was promoting was all about James Duddridge and nothing whatsoever to do with the by-election taking place which in itself was due to the untimely death of a very popular councillor.”

Mr Terry sent a copy of the letter to the Echo, as well as a reply from the Conservative Party which said: “I am sorry to hear of this incident and will pass this information on to the local team.” Mr Terry insisted the Echo should cover the story because the ban was in place until Friday.

Mr Duddridge said: “I resumed canvassing after 11am last Thursday when the campaigning had resumed across the country. After the moment’s silence, campaigning resumed everywhere and so that’s what I did.”

He added: “You can’t let terrorism get in the way of a democratic process.”

Ashley Dalton (Lab) Peter Gwizdala (Lib Dem) Simon Cross (Green) and Neil Hookway (Ukip), are also standing.