Election candidates don’t always expect a warm welcome on the doorstep - but one fell foul of a particularly unhappy four-legged constituent at the weekend.
Alasdair Tollemache encountered one of the hazards of the campaign trail - a pet pooch.
Alasdair, who is seeking re-election for the Scottish Greens in the Bridge of Allan and Dunblane ward, was bitten on the finger by a dog as he stuffed a campaign leaflet through a letter box.
Now recovering, he was back on the campaign trail this week - armed with every candidate’s best friend....a wooden spoon to enable him to slide the leaflets through the door at arm’s length.
He told the Observer: “I’m on the mend following my campaign dog bite through the letterbox. I now have my ‘device’ on me to stop this happening again.
“The democratic process is vital and delivering information about what candidates offer people is part of the process.
“There are some essentials for this - sturdy footwear and a wooden spoon or similar object to protect the fingers.”
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Explaining the bite, he said: “Nearing the end of my leafleting in Dunblane I was bitten on the fingers by a small dog - clearly not a supporter - as I put a leaflet through a letter box.
“Regrettably I was not using the wooden spoon technique at the time.”
Thankfully Alasdair is now on the mend.
“I’m fine and had my tetanus checked,” he added.
“I have fond memories of Charlie and Patch my own dogs and know that the dog was only defending its home - but this incident has greatly increased my admiration for all our posties.
“Thanks for all the cross party concern.”
