A FORMER Labour leader of Redditch Borough Council who was jailed for stealing more than £80,000 while head of a charity has been discovered going door to door for Redditch Labour Party during the group's local election campaign.

David Cartwright was jailed for three years in 2009 after he admitted a catalogue of theft and deception charges while boss of Step Out Drop In, which was set up to help homeless youngsters.

The former Labour leader, who at the time earned the nickname “dodgy Dave,” has been spotted canvassing with Redditch Labour activists, councillors and candidates.

Pictures on Redditch Labour’s Facebook page show Mr Cartwright on the campaign trail with former mayor of Redditch, councillor Joe Baker, as well as councillors Greg and Debbie Chance.

The move has been described as showing a "total lack of respect" for victims' of Mr Cartwright’s fraud.

Conservative group leader on Redditch Borough Council, councillor Juliet Brunner, said it is "absolutely outrageous" that Labour are allowing Mr Cartwright to campaign with them.

“It shows a total lack of respect for his victims – imagine how they would feel if they, or a relative, came across Mr Cartwright on the doorstep," she said.

Cllr Brunner has now called on Redditch Labour Party to put a stop to Mr Cartwright campaigning.

She said: “I am calling on my Labour counterpart, councillor Bill Hartnett, the Labour leader of Redditch Borough Council, to put an end to this and remove David Cartwright from their local election campaign.

“It is bad enough they allowed this to happen in the first place and shows a severe lack of judgment from Redditch Labour.”

A regional Labour spokesman said: “We don’t comment on individuals’ membership status.”