Reform UK office vandalised with 'f**k off home' message after defeat in 'dark tricks' by-election

"Now you can f**k off home," the vandals wrote. Photographs of Reform's campaign office circulated on social media yesterday.

Reform UK had been eyeing up its first major electoral victory in Wales on Thursday.

Despite Llyr Powell securing 12,113 votes, Reform missed out on snatching the once-safe Labour seat by 3,848 ballots.

Plaid Cymru's Lindsay Whittle, who first stood for the pro-Welsh independence party in Caerphilly in 1983, pulled off a historic victory as Labour's support collapsed from 13,289 to just 3,713.

However, the tense by-election campaign also witnessed noticeable levels of vandalism, prompting Reform UK to accuse "hard-left activists" of playing dirty tricks.

Speaking to GB News at the Caerphilly count, Mr Powell said: "I am grateful to every voter who went to the ballot box and voted Reform - despite the fear and attacks that have been put against them by the other parties."

He added: "They attacked my door in the middle of the night. At the office, we had to have security there. There were a lot of things that went on in this campaign that was very dark."

GB News also understands that anti-Reform activists launched a boycott of shops in the former mining town of Bargoed after local businesses started putting up posters supporting Nigel Farage's party.

However, Reform UK has not been deterred by some of the "dirty tricks" on show in the Caerphilly by-election.

"They’ll hate it when we win here in May," a local Reform insider told The People's Channel.

Photos shared with GB News appeared to show anti-Reform activists had targeted posters across the constituency that were supporting Mr Powell's bid to become the party's second Senedd Member.

Swastikas had been drawn in the corner of one poster, while another crossed out Mr Powell's face and emblazoned "RACISTS!" over the Welsh dragon.

Following Mr Whittle's victory on Friday morning, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth claimed the Caerphilly result marked a "reset" in Welsh politics.

He added: "The message from Caerphilly is clear: Wales is ready for new leadership, and Plaid Cymru is leading the way."

However, both Labour and Plaid Cymru have been accused of being to fervent in their attacks against Reform UK.

Following Sir Keir's keynote conference speech last month, Mr Farage warned that the Prime Minister's language "directly threatens the safety of our elected officials and campaigners".

Meanwhile, ex-Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has been labelling Reform UK as "far-right" on social media.

But Reform UK also found itself in a difficult situation during the by-election campaign, with the televised hustings including a fiery exchange in which a local mother confronted Mr Powell about her mixed-race children feeling unwelcome in their home town.

A Reform UK spokesman told GB News: "We’re absolutely determined to show the extreme left that violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy.

“Reform represents the views of a huge proportion of decent, hardworking Welsh people, and we will not be silenced.

“Nothing will stop us from fighting to make sure that people from left-behind communities have a seat at the table in politics.”

The People's Channel has also approached Gwent Police for comment.