MARK HARPER has been told to apologise over ’despicable’ suggestions posted on social media about the collapsed investment deal from the Forest of Dean District Council last month.

The authority were looking to borrow millions of pounds to put into a shopping centre in Worcester which, they say, could have brought in enough cash to cover a big gap in their finances next year.

However, Mr Harper, who is standing for the Conservatives in next week’s General Election, called the idea ’barmy’ and claimed that it was put together in secret and ’away from public scrutiny’.

But Green Party candidate Mr Chris McFarling has ’called him out’ and demanded that Mr Harper say sorry for the comments.

And Labour Party candidate Di Martin said the claims were ’misleading’ and ’wrong’.

In his post on Facebook just 95 minutes before last Monday’s General Election hustings at St Mary’s Parish Church, Lydney, Mr Harper said: “That choice at this election is clear, both nationally and locally, as to who you want to elect as Prime Minister as well as the Forest’s local Member of Parliament.

“In the Forest of Dean, we don’t have to look very far to see what happens when parties other than the Conservatives are in charge.

“The Forest of Dean District council, run by a ’rainbow coalition’ which has both the Labour and Green candidates at this General Election in its Cabinet, recently tried to borrow £50 million of tax payers money to invest in a shopping centre in Worcester nearly 45 miles away, having initally cooked up this barmy idea in private and away from any public scrutiny.

“Thankfully, the Conservative Govenemtn stepped in to stop this example of incredibly risky property speculation.”

But Mr McFarling, who has stepped down, along with Labour’s Di Martin, from the council’s Cabinet while standing for election, was fuming at the claims.

He said; “It is despicable. Mark Harper has descended to the lowet of the low in these dangerous comments.

“We carried out due process and due diligence to make sure we made the best investment we could.

“The Government has withdrawn funding from the district council where we have a £1.9 million hole in our finances.”

He defended the secrecy of the project within council circles, saying: “It was a market commercial sensitive deal and (by allowing open debate) it would have meant we would have lost the chance of purchasing it.”

And now, after the deal was leaked to the media, Mr McFarling believes the authority have lost ’any credibility’ and trust if the council want to go for further investment projects, which is their idea for raising cash to fill the coffers.

Mr McFarling added: “It was not a barmy idea. It was an opportunity which we jumped at. What do the Conservatives want? If we don’t have the money, we cannot deliver the services we want.

“Mr Harper should apologies for this (post).”

Mrs Martin added: "This (post) was misleading and wrong for him to do such a thing. He (Mr Harper) is always attacking the council.

"The Government have been encouraging local government to be more commercial but this is so sad. I think this (post) is beyond the pale."