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Ouch 2

• Mark Devenport
• 27 Feb 07, 04:02 PM

The blog has already documented the danger that voter's dogs can pose to canvassers. But what about the risk candidates' posters can pose to voters?

My colleague Yvette Shapiro had a close shave whilst driving down the Lower Ormeau Road. She was just passing the SDLP MP Alasdair McDonnell's surgery, when a gust of wind caught one of his posters and blew it across the road. Yvette swerved to avoid it but didn't hit anyone else. If there had been an accident she might have had to call on Dr McDonnell's professional services.

Yvette is not alone. The Talkback programme had a number of calls from motorists warning about the hazard posed by election posters swirling around the carriageway on the M2. Another caller said some posters were obscuring traffic lights in the city centre.

On the topic of posters, the SDLP's Strangford candidate Joe Boyle has complained vociferously about loyalists taking down or defacing his posters in Killyleagh, Comber and Newtownards. As PA's Dan McGinn has already pointed out, the Ulster Unionist Derek Hussey has (suitably ironically) offered to sign his posters for those who admire him so much that they have been taking them home. And at today's Alliance launch, Sean Neeson appeared genuinely amused about the graffiti artists in East Antrim who, on Ash Wednesday, added a cross to his forehead.