The Conservatives have denied that a convicted Stoke-on-Trent drug dealer is a member of the party – despite him being photographed with activists in the city.

Yasser Hussain was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2006 after leading a conspiracy to supply class A drugs in Stoke-on-Trent and further afield.

The trainee solicitor, then of Chaplin Road, Normacot, was one of five members of a gang who all received lengthy prison sentences. It has now emerged that Hussain has been involved with the Conservative Party in Stoke-on-Trent in recent years, appearing in photographs with party members at a council by-election in 2021, and attending the city council election count at Fenton Manor last May.

The Conservative Party denies that he is a member of the party. But Labour say that Hussain's attendance at last May's election count proves that he must have been working with the Conservatives.

Mr Hussain was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2006 after leading a conspiracy to supply class A drugs in Stoke-on-Trent (Pete Stonier).

Candidates, their election agents and nominated counting agents are entitled to attend and observe election counts, and the candidate can invite one other person as a guest.

A Labour source said: "It's clear that Hussain has been working with the Conservative Party in Stoke-on-Trent for a number of years.

"The Conservatives say he's not an active member. If that is true why is he delivering leaflets and attending election counts?

"There are more questions than answers currently and the Conservatives need to explain to voters what the relationship between the Conservatives and Mr Hussain is."

A Conservative spokesperson said: "Yasser Hussain is not a member of the Conservative Party."

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