Reform UK’s candidate in the Caerphilly by-election says he received 55 death threats and had to be moved from his home to an undisclosed location during campaigning.

Llyr Powell said that on one occasion he was at home “hearing the door being kicked in downstairs” and that threats to him have continued after finishing second to Plaid Cymru’s Lindsay Whittle in the vote last month.

Gwent Police said it had not received any reports of safety concerns for Powell from him or his party.

The Electoral Reform Society said more should be done to tackle threats ahead of the Senedd election in May, with other politicians in Wales also reporting safety concerns.

On the incident where he could hear his door being kicked, Powell told Newyddion S4C: “I looked out the window and thought, this could be the moment they actually killed me, and it’s a really strange feeling.”

Powell said his office doors were also glued on one occasion, and said police told him there was nothing they could do as the culprits on CCTV were wearing hoodies.

He also said he was approached by a group and spat upon while locking up his office one evening, and was verbally abused and had objects thrown at him on a visit to Cardiff.

Powell said he “tried to speak” to police following the threats, but that it was “the most difficult thing in the world to try to get hold of them”.

“You were just given a generic number and you’d have to go through the process like everyone else,” he said.

Three weeks on from the by-election, Powell said he still requires security for certain events, which his party funds, and said he wanted stronger safeguards for those standing for public office.

“Whether it’s the abuse online or walking down the street or just trying to get home, it’s not easy,” Powell added.

Gwent Police said “no contact was received from the candidate or any members of the party through this channel to report safety concerns”.

It said the local authority hosted an online safety briefing for all candidates and party members, and that “the session provided guidance on personal safety, including information on how to report any concerns or incidents to the council”.

It added that attendees “were provided with a dedicated email address for any questions or queries throughout the campaign period”.

Powell said he is considering whether he wishes to stand in the 2026 Senedd election next year, adding: “I’ve got to be honest for me, right now it’s in my head, do I want this in my life?”

The Electoral Reform Society said more must be done to tackle safety issues on a cross-party and cross-government basis, as well as introducing easier methods of escalating problems to the police, as Wales looks towards May’s election.

Llinos Medi, MP for Ynys Môn, said she has seen an increase in abuse since winning her seat last year.

“I had unfortunate experiences when I was a council leader, which meant that I had to have involvement with the police and so on,” she said.

“But I have to admit, since I started this new job, that has increased enormously and the threats have become more and more obvious, and the sense of fear has become more apparent in the job.”

Conservative MS Sam Kurtz said he has received abuse online and, for a period, constant phone calls from someone making racist comments about his German heritage.

He said he had taken many safety precautions, with CCTV at his home as well as other measures in his office.

“I’ve got panic buttons in my office, I’ve got a lone worker device provided by the Senedd,” he said.

Kurtz said this is now “common practice” with politicians in Wales and Westminster, adding: “I have weekly phone calls from local police to ensure the safety of myself and my staff, but to ensure that that’s done across all of Wales at the next election has got to be a priority.”

The Electoral Commission surveyed candidates following the 2024 general election and found that 55% experienced harassment, intimidation or abuse.

The UK Home Office said “harassment and intimidation of election candidates or those holding public office is unacceptable”.

It added: “The security minister is driving forward work across government, the police, parliamentary authorities, and the Electoral Commission, to tackle this abuse.”