A FORMER council candidate says ‎a leading councillor left him "seeing stars" after she knocked out four of his teeth in a row at a by-election.

Michael Beggs is demanding £7,500 from Penny Jackman for dental work, after being hit at a count in Lymington in 2012.

She has admitted slapping him but her lawyer says Mr Beggs said she only acted due to Cllr Jackman's "threatening manner", saying he thrust his head towards her and was "intimidating" her.

Mr Beggs, who is also claiming costs, spoke this morning during a hearing at Southampton County Court.

‎The incident happened on February 9, 2012 at a Lymington Town Council by-election count, with Mr Beggs a UKIP candidate having previously been a Conservative.

‎Cllr Jackman, a town and district councillor, was not standing but was at the count and the court heard they became involved in a discussion about one of his election leaflets.

It referred ‎to the situation around the town cricket club ground, which had been proposed to be sold.

Jonathan Swift, representing Cllr Jackman, said Mr Beggs had said "hello Penny" in a "patronising ‎way", which he denied, with Mr Swift saying "she was not very polite back to you", which Mr Beggs responded to by saying "no she wasn't".

Mr Beggs said she criticised him for writing "filth" about her in an election leaflet.

Mr Swift said Mr Beggs then became "very annoyed" and "thrust his head and jaw a few inches from her face" - something he denied.

Mr Beggs then said she turned away and slapped him with her right hand on his left cheek.

He said she thought she had been turning to leave but was actually "winding up for a big smack" which made him "see stars in my head".

He added: "I was slapped extremely hard by a strong lady, enough to break my teeth.

Four teeth, including a molar which has still not been replaced, were knocked out.

Mr Beggs withdrew a claim for whiplash as the amount claimed for was "peanuts" but said he cannot chew o‎n his left side saying "I have to eat all of my steak on the right side and my teeth are suffering from it".

He told the court‎: "I certainly think it was an attack on me because I had changed from the Conservatives to UKIP, I think that politics motivated it."

Mr Swift also said that Mr Beggs was looking to make "political capital" out of the incident and that he sent her a "threatening" email after when he suggested they send out a joint press release about the matter.

Police arrested Cllr Jackman, who stood down from the town council's amenities committee after the incident, but no further action was taken against her.

Proceeding.