A Liberal Democrat campaigner has denied using a fake name to try to infiltrate Zac Goldsmith's bid to become a Conservative MP for Richmond Park.

Zac Goldsmith accused Dan Falchikov, the man who was overheard on a train earlier this year boasting about coming up with the Save Kingston Hospital campaign, of volunteering to deliver leaflets and do "data entry" for the Tory campaign.

He was accused of using the name John O'Grady to sign up, but was rumbled when an intern wrote to Mr Falchikov to thank him and copied his email address to other Conservative councillors, who recognised it.

It is the second time Mr Falchikov, a former Lib Dem Kingston Council candidate and leaflet writer, has been accused of "dirty tricks" campaigning.

In January, Daily Mirror senior political editor Kevin Maguire, who lives in Kingston and is linked to the Labour party, took a photo of Mr Falchikov allegedly bragging on the phone about the hospital campaign, saying it had been cooked up at the kitchen table.

Speaking from his home in Kingston, Mr Falchikov denied using a fake name.

He said: "We had a bizarre email from their campaign over the weekend which I said 'this has clearly been sent to me in error'.

"I don't know what they are talking about. They [Susan Kramer's team] asked me what was going on and I said the same to them.

"If you were going to infiltrate Zac's campaign you wouldn't put someone like me with the background I had a few months ago.

"I signed up last year to get regular updates, which I imagine hundreds of people who aren't Tories do as well."

Zac Goldsmith said: "If they are not smearing us locally, they are distorting our national policies to frighten residents.

"If they're not taking false credit for other people's hard work, they are busy trying to infiltrate our campaign.

"The election should be fought on the issues that matter."

Susan Kramer said: "I'm fighting a fair and honest campaign. Dan Falchikov has never been a member of my campaign team and has never been authorised to do anything on my behalf."

Her campaign team said they would be investigating.