A Labour councillor in Worcester has accused his colleagues of being "hostage takers" after they "nicked" a lifesize cut-out of Ed Miliband.
Councillor Peter McDonald, Labour's group leader in Worcestershire County Council, said that the council's legal chief Simon Mallinson told him in a private meeting that he knew the whereabouts of the cut-out, which had been moved because certain people thought it was "offensive".
Details of the scandal were exclusively revealed in Worcester News. McDonald told the paper that he might call the police if the cut-out isn't back in Labour's secure room in the council building in January.
"One day I went into the room and found the cut-out of Ed had been nicked," McDonald said.
"It sounds childish but I couldn't believe it, I found myself negotiating over a cardboard cut-out.
I had a meeting with Simon Mallinson and he said he knew where it had gone, and that we could have it back 'under certain conditions', and that was that it must go in January.
I told him I've got British blood in my veins and I'm not prepared to negotiate with hostage takers.
Nobody has a right to tell us what we can and can't have in our own room, we aren't breaking any laws by having a life-sized Ed Miliband in there."
The council has now weighed in and launched an investigation into the case of the missing Ed. A statement read: "We are aware that a life-sized picture has gone missing out of the Labour room within County Hall.
"Staff and elected members are working closely to ensure that it is returned and this situation is concluded."
The real question now is just what expression the lifesize cut-out had when it was taken?
The cut-out above can be bought for £29.99 from Amazon.