A church newsletter has been dragged into a political row just a week before a by-election is held in Abingdon.

The Church in Abingdon Group has been accused by the Tories of allowing the newsletter to be hijacked by the Liberal Democrats.

Editor Becky Fisher has hit back by denying the publication is a political vehicle.

The first edition of the new quarterly newsletter for south Abingdon features an article about the Preston Road Community Centre, written by Vale of White Horse District Council's representative Mary de Vere, a leading Lib Dem.

She outlined the history of the centre and how £100,000 of district council cash is being spent on repairs before it re-opens next month.

But the article has upset the council's Tories, whose leader, Melinda Tilley, accuses the CAG of naivety in the run-up to the by-election on November 15 for the Caldecott Ward in south Abingdon.

She said: "Is the group so naive as not to see how it is being cynically exploited for political use at a time that is so sensitive to this area?"

Mrs Tilley said the article gave the impression that work on re-opening the community centre is all down to the Lib Dems.

Mrs Fisher said: "The community centre is an important issue and it was decided to run an article written by Mrs de Vere. I see nothing wrong in that."

She added the newsletter was finished before the by-election date had been announced.