A DAD campaigning for greater access to his children took Elmo from Sesame Street along as he submitted his general election candidacy for the Witney constituency.

Bobby Smith, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, decided to bring along the children’s Sesame Street character because he used to affectionately call his children Elmo, after the Jim Henson creation.

Mr Smith has set up his own political party, called Give Me Back Elmo, to campaign for equal custody for fathers.

The father-of two handed in his application at West Oxfordshire District Council’s headquarters, at Wood Green, in Witney, on Tuesday.

He said: “I haven’t had any real contact with my children since May 2011. There should be a starting point of 50-50 for parenting. I thought I’d use Elmo because that’s what I used to call both my children when they were together.”

Mr Smith has campaigned for New Fathers 4 Justice in the past, and camped outside David Cameron’s house, in Dean, last Christmas, but for this election he has set up his own party.

Mr Smith said he may join a demonstration on Church Green, in Witney.

Fellow prospective candidate, independent Chris Tompson, is planning to camp out in the run-up to the election to get his message across to Conservative prospective candidate and Prime Minister David Cameron.

Mr Smith said he would not camp there if it upset the residents of Witney, but added that he would defy any attempt by West Oxfordshire District Council to move him.