FOR those suspicious that politics was full of sleaze and promiscuity, the pictures appeared to confirm their deepest misgivings.

With 69 different features ranging from amateurs' and animal' through to mature' wives' and wrestling', the Hounslow Labour Party's apparent new look website certainly injected a little excitement when bemused web-surfers logged on last Friday.

For gone were the dreary references to the party's election campaigns and in their place were links to a variety of sexual activities.

But viewers' surprise began to droop when they realised that the hardcore pornography site on www.hounslowlabour.org has nothing to do with a new look Labour.

Neither are any of the featured models councillors from the ruling Labour group.

In fact the website, which used to be moderated by Cllr David Hughes, has been taken over by a hardcore pornography outfit based in Marbella, unconnected with the political party, after the domain registration accidentally lapsed.

And frustrated Labour councillors have admitted that there is apparently nothing they can do to regain the site, which appears to be legally registered.

Cllr Phil Andrews, Isleworth Community Group, was one of the first to notice the change: "I visited the old Labour website to see whether it was up and running again, and received quite a shock.

"It is now headed Your Guide To Great Porn', and is every bit as shocking as the old site used to be - moderated by Cllr. David Hughes without the aid of a spellchecker.

"It occurred to me that the predicament of the girl in the picture was much the same as that of the Labour Party in these parts - so maybe there is a connection after all."

Vanessa Smith, a former Labour councillor, said: "I would rather not go down the path of thinking some of our councillors have branched out into different business interests, my stomach isn't that strong!

"The thought of them in the buff really is too much! Mind you I suppose we would at last be able to verify that they have no b****."

Conservative Cllr Adrian Lee, said: "I'm amused that any pornographer thinks the association with the Hounslow Labour Group would increase their sales. None of them are particularly attractive. Some people might find it more appealing than pictures of their councillors.

"With falling party membership perhaps this will attract more members. When we get our website up and running they will all be fully clothed."

Conservative Cllr Samantha Davies: "I always thought socialism was a dirty word and this proves it."

Cllr Colin Ellar, the Labour leader of Hounslow Council, said: "I have heard of this sort of thing before where these sites take over the names of places, but that's beyond our control.

"I find the use of a legitimate site in this way repulsive, but I think there's nothing we can do: I don't think there is any way to get the server back.

"It's a loophole in site registration. I recommend people don't watch it or use it."

"I'm surprised they have bothered with our address: it's not like you get thousands logging onto local political sites. They might do now though."

Cllr David Hughes, who moderated the old site, said that while the Labour party had been doing all it could to try to reclaim the site, he suspected it had been taken over as a ploy to force labour to buy the site back - which they are unprepared to do.

The Labour party's new, non-pornographic website is www.labourinhounslow.org