A SCOTTISH businessman is taking court action against the Brexit Party after being left £22,000 out of pocket for unpaid election billboards.

Victor Shields, director of Glasgow-based Giant Advertising, has provided political billboards for the last 12 years to all major parties. But he was been forced to threaten court proceedings after still being owed thousands of pounds for his services – more than three months after December’s election.

The majority of Giant’s work for the Brexit Party was digital adverts, in the run-up to polling day on December 12 – but Shields has only received around half of the money he’s owed.

He has now resorted to taking action at Glasgow Sheriff Court after being left “very distressed” by the incident. The Brexit Party denies the claims.

Despite winning 29 seats in the 2019 European Parliament election, the Brexit Party failed to win a single constituency in December’s election after Nigel Farage stood down candidates in strong Conservative areas.

The party only won around 2% of the popular vote.

Shields was left frustrated after dealing with former Ukip chairman and Brexit Party campaign manager Paul Oakden over the row.

He said: “After December 12, almost 80% of the Brexit Party’s people were dismissed and they no longer had access to email – and our only point of contact was Paul Oakden.

“He could not care one bit about his obligations to pay people and he has personally done nothing bar anger, annoy and distress me.”

The company gave notice on the money being due and was reassured by the party’s then head of candidates, Lesley Katon, that he would receive payment within 10 working days – but it did not happen.

“With the advice of our solicitors to recover the money, we then instructed a court order to recover the debt with expenses at Glasgow Sheriff Court,” added Shields.

“I have been advised that there are more people due to be paid.”

Shields is furious that he has been ignored by a political party – and has accused the Brexit Party of “just blatantly taking the mickey out of me with their behaviour”.

He said: “I am a small business and this kind of behaviour you don’t expect from political parties.

“Everybody pays on the nose because it’s so last-minute. You have to have a bit of trust involved but clearly that hasn’t happened here.”

He added: “I have supplied media to all the major political parties across the UK and in 12 years, this is the first time we have had an organisation as such do this with a debt.

“This is the UK and it’s now 2020.

“Also, the fact I am Scottish-based could have a bearing on their total disregard to their obligations.”

Two days before the European Parliament election last year, Brexit Party leader Farage claimed the Electoral Commission was “interfering in the electoral process” after the watchdog turned up at the party’s headquarters for “active oversight and regulation” of party funding.

The Electoral Commission said that it has not yet received invoices for the December election.

Political parties that spent less than £250,000 have until March 12 to submit their spending returns – while those that paid out more than £250,000 have until June 12.

A spokesperson for the Brexit Party said: “The claims against the party are totally unfounded.”