A row has broken out between politicians after a candidate jokingly told a public meeting that he might have been tempted to dupe his mortgage company when buying his house.

The Liberal Democrat candidate for Wantage, Neil Fawcett was replying to questions about the high cost of living in Oxfordshire.

After the meeting, which was organised by Didcot churches, Stephen Beer the Wantage constituency Labour candidate said: "Along with the audience, I was shocked at Mr Fawcett's comments. I hope he was joking. Even so, the subject of household finance is a serious matter."

Mr Fawcett said that he was astounded by Mr Beer's statement. "I felt I was making what was quite obviously a light-hearted comment and most people took it in that spirit," he said.

"It is very sad that the Labour candidate is picking up on an obviously light-hearted remark and it reflects poorly on his sense of humour and the state of Labour's campaign."

More than 70 people attended the question-and-answer session at the Methodist Hall by all the local candidates - Robert Jackson (Con), David Brooks-Saxl (Green) and Count Nickolai Tolstoy (UK Independence Party) attended as well as Mr Beer and Mr Fawcett.