AN investigation has been launched by the Electoral Commission and Cheshire Police over the filing of expense receipts for the Conservative Party's election battlebus, which was used to target marginal seats, including Weaver Vale.

Graham Evans retained the seat last May with a majority of 806 after defeating Labour candidate Julia Tickridge.

The Conservative battlebus campaign targeted 20 marginal seats and visited Weaver Vale when David Cameron met candidate Graham Evans.

The Prime Minister also visited Northwich, as did then-London Mayor Boris Johnson.

Channel 4 reported that more than £38,000 was spent on accommodating battlebus campaigners in 29 marginal seats – including Weaver Vale and that this was not declared to the Electoral Commission ‘in accordance with the law’.

The programme’s reporter Michael Crick has been investigating the party’s expenses for three months.

Channel 4 obtained undeclared receipts and published evidence that it said would undermine the Conservative's claim that the vehicle’s deployment was part of national campaign spending, not ‘local’.

The party has blamed an 'administrative error'.

Cheshire Police is one of eight forces nationally investigating whether Conservative MPs filed election expenses illegally after the 2015 General Election.

A spokesperson for Cheshire Police said: "As a result of media interest, some members of the public have contacted us to raise their concerns in relation to this matter.

"Officers are investigating these reports and following lines of enquiry.

"Based on the information we receive, we will consider the appropriate course of action and if an application to the extension of the time limit is required."

A Conservative spokesman said: “The Party always took the view that our national Battlebus, a highly-publicised campaign activity, was part of the national return - and we would have no reason not to declare it as such, given that the Party was some millions below the national spending threshold.

“Other political parties ran similar vehicles which visited different parliamentary constituencies as part of their national campaigning.”

Labour toured the area with a similar 'Pink Bus', which saw Harriet Harman visiting Northwich during the campaign. 

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said: “The commission is currently conducting an investigation into the Conservative Party’s 2015 General Election spending return and will consider carefully any new allegations that are raised as part of the Channel 4 news programme.

“In line with the commission’s enforcement policy, the commission does not comment on ongoing investigations, as to do so may hinder the conduct of the investigation.”