A campaign of automated telephone calls by the Liberal Democrat party has been declared illegal by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

Earlier this month, the party sent an unsolicited, pre-recorded message from party leader Nick Clegg to voters in marginal constituencies. This, the ICO has ruled, was in breach of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, after it decided that the message constituted a direct marketing campaign.

The Liberal Democrat party has been served with a legal order to stop sending out the calls, and faces prosecution if it fails to do so.

"Many people find unsolicited automated calls particularly intrusive and annoying, so it is important that any organisation making such calls ensures that individuals have given their consent before they are targeted," said deputy information commissioner David Smith.

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