Shapps claims he's the victim of Labour 'dirty tricks'

The Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps has dismissed as "categorically false" a claim he may have been behind edits of the Wikipedia entries of political rivals. He claimed he might be the victim of dirty tricks by the Labour party after it was reported that an online account from which changes were also made regularly to Mr Shapps' own page had been blocked by the site's administrators.

Mr Shapps strongly denied any involvement in making the changes - said to have centred on removing unfavourable parts of his own biography and inserting unhelpful entries to those of figures such as Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and Conservative election 'genius' Lynton Crosby.

Most of those affected were said to have clashed with Mr Shapps before the edits were made. "This Guardian smear is categorically false and defamatory," Mr Shapps said. "It is untrue from start to finish, and was quite likely dreamt up by the Labour press office. Sadly it is typical of the smears coming from those who would rather not debate policy and substance."

Political rivals were quick to make capital from the claims - with the Liberal Democrats issuing a tongue-in-cheek response from campaign co-ordinator Lord Ashdown. "Grant is a wonderful guy - he is a credit to the Conservative Party, a fine sportsman and reads a book a day. We could all learn a lot from him," it read. "He has led the Tories with exemplary skill and if, like me, you have been lucky enough to meet him - you know you have been touched by greatness. Quite simply, a colossus." In a nod to the name of the suspended account, it added: "This Press Release has been edited by Wikipedia user Contribsx."