AN anti-EU campaigner said his vote could suffer because he is last on a ballot paper of European election candidates.

Neil Herron, the former campaign manager of Sunderland's late metric martyr, Steven Thoburn, is bidding to become one of the North-East's three MEPs next month.

He said he has been disadvantaged as he is at the bottom of the list of candidates because they are listed alphabetically by party name and he is an independent.

Mr Herron is calling for the papers to be redrawn.

He has lodged an objection with returning officer Ged Fitzgerald, the chief executive of Sunderland City Council, which said it followed the law governing the order in which names appear.

Mr Heron said: "The list is in alphabetical order from the BNP to the UK Independence Party, but even though I am independent and should come after the Green Party and before the Liberal Democrats and Labour, I am last on the list.

"What worries me is that subliminally people will think I am an also-ran and will not vote for me.''

Mr Herron said the rules were unfair and that he may seek a High Court injunction over the matter.