THE top team within Bradford's Liberal Democrats have been suspended from their positions en-masse for continuing to help sacked candidate David Ward.

Mr Ward is standing as an independent in Bradford East after being sacked as a Liberal Democrat candidate by leader Tim Farron over allegations of anti-Semitism.

But the election leaflets for his new independent campaign say they were 'printed by the City of Bradford Liberal Democrats', in the latest example of local defiance against his sacking.

The move has prompted Lib Dem headquarters to suspend the local executive committee from their roles, with the regional party stepping in to run its election campaigns in Bradford.

A spokesman for the party headquarters said in a statement: "The Liberal Democrats have initiated the suspension procedure against the Bradford local party, pending an investigation into its commercial printing of campaign literature for an independent candidate.

"Such action was not centrally sanctioned, would be unacceptable and represent a gross error in judgement.

"The Liberal Democrats fully support our candidate in Bradford East, Mark Jewell and urge all Liberal Democrats to vote for him on 8 June.

"Our members in Bradford of course remain members of the party. As a result of this action the local party will now be managed by the regional party."

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, who is on the local party's executive committee and leads the Liberal Democrat group on Bradford Council, responded angrily, saying she hadn't directly been told of their suspension.

She said: "I'm ashamed to be a member of a political party that treats its membership like this.

"I have found out via a press release to the Telegraph & Argus. This is a shameful way to treat people."

Speaking before the suspension announcement, Cllr Sunderland said they had not printed Mr Ward's campaign leaflets for free and he had actually paid more than the going rate for them.

Mr Ward, who is suspended from the party pending an investigation, has strongly denied allegations of anti-Semitism and there had been rising tensions between the national party and local Lib Dems over Mr Farron's decision to remove him as a candidate.

Many local Liberal Democrats have remained fiercely loyal to Mr Ward in the light of his suspension.

He had remained within the Liberal Democrat group on Bradford Council, while one party member had told the Telegraph & Argus she had resigned in protest at his sacking.