Surrey vandal captured on video destroying B.C. Liberal's signs

Last Updated: Friday, May 8, 2009 | 12:11 PM PT

CBC News

A Surrey man was arrested after campaign workers captured a vandal on video destroying a B.C. Liberal campaign sign along the King George Highway. (B.C. Liberals)

A man has been arrested in Surrey, B.C., after campaign workers for the B.C. Liberal party captured a vandal on video tearing down a candidate's election signs along the side of the busy King George Highway.

Radhia Benalia, the B.C. Liberal candidate for the Surrey-Whalley riding east of Vancouver, told CBC News that with just days to go before the May 12 provincial election, her workers were kept busy replacing signs as fast as they went up, in some cases replacing signs up to three times.

"We had over 70 signs, two-by-fours, that were completely destroyed or that disappeared altogether," said Benalia.

After nearly three weeks of losing signs, Benalia's crew took matters into their own hands and staked out a section of the King George Highway where the damage had been particularly bad.

Soon, they captured a vandal in action, tearing up a large campaign sign right by the side of the busy road in broad daylight.

Shortly afterward, the RCMP arrested a 46-year-old Surrey man who was known to police, according to Sgt. Roger Morrow. The man was later released after the RCMP recommended to the Crown he face wilful damages charges.

Benalia won't speculate about the motivation behind the vandalism, but she did say it was regrettable.

"Well, I think that apart from being a personal attack, it's very sad because it is an assault on democracy," said Benalia on Thursday.

So far, it appears the vandalism was targeted at the signs of the B.C. Liberal candidate, and that's where the police investigation is focused, said Morrow.

But Bruce Ralston, the NDP candidate in the riding, said his signs have been hit, too.

"We've lost signs every day as well. We have a crew that goes out to put them back up every morning," said Ralston.