The Conservative Party has denied claims it broke electoral law by using a Neath call centre to canvass Carmarthen East and Dinefwr voters during the general election campaign.
An investigation by Channel 4 claimed to have found the UK Tories contracted Blue Telecoms in Neath to conduct marketing campaigns ahead of the vote on June 8.
The Information Commissioners Officer confirmed it would be asking the Tories about the calls.
A Conservative spokesman said all the calls were compliant with the law.
Carmarthen East and Dinewfr Conservative candidate Harvard Hughes. There is no suggestion the candidate was involved.
The undercover investigation by Channel 4 News, broadcast last night, claimed the workers may have been carrying out paid canvassing, banned under electoral law, as they promoted key Conservative messages to undecided voters in the weeks before the election.
The investigation claimed that calls were made to voters in key marginal seats, including Bridgend, Gower, Clwyd South and Wrexham.
Blue Telecoms has been contacted for a comment.
At the start of the election campaign, the information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, contacted all parties to remind them of the law around direct marketing.
A Conservative party spokeswoman denied the allegations, saying: "Political parties of all colours pay for market research and direct marketing calls.
"All the scripts supplied by the party for these calls are compliant with data protection and information law."
The investigation claimed during election day, on June 8, callers at Blue Telecoms were told that they would spend the day making calls on behalf of named Conservative parliamentary candidates in Wales.
Guidance from the Electoral Commission for candidates and agents says: ‘During the campaign, you must not…pay canvassers. Canvassing means trying to persuade an elector to vote for or against a particular candidate or party’
The investigation alleges 'candidates were named during the calls and, again, floating voters were subjected to key Conservative messages.'
The script for undecided voters stated: "Does knowing that you live in a marginal constituency that will determine who is Prime Minister for the Brexit negotiations, does that make you a lot more likely to vote for Theresa May’s Conservative candidate or a little more likely to vote for Theresa May’s Conservative candidate, or are you still unsure, or does it not make a difference," the investigation claimed.
Meanwhile, voters who had decided to vote Conservative, but had not yet cast their ballots were warned that every vote counts and time is running out’ and encouraged to head for polling stations, the investigation alleged.
Pic: Channel 4
Barrister Anya Proops QC said paid canvassing ‘can have very, very serious consequences, even if the candidate in question doesn’t know it’s happening’.
Channel 4 News obtained evidence that at least ten key marginal seats were targeted by the call centre on election day.
It said calls were placed to voters in Caerphilly, Carmarthen East, Ceredigion, Pontypridd, Torfaen, Newport West, Bridgend, Gower, Clywd South and Wrexham.
The investigation alleges on election day, callers were again instructed not to mention Blue Telecoms on the phone. Instead, they were told: ‘Just say you are in the Conservative Office, Cardiff, and don’t mention Blue Telecoms.’
An Information Commissioner's Office spokesperson said: “The Information Commissioner reminded campaigners from political parties of their obligations around direct marketing at the beginning of the election campaign. Where we find they haven’t followed the law we will act.
“We will be asking the Conservative Party about the marketing campaigns conducted from this call centre.”
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