Ananova:

A Labour phone campaign which sent a recorded message from soap star Liz Dawn to almost half a million people breached privacy rules.

The Information Commissioner's Office ruled the automated calls, featuring the voice of the Coronation Street actress, were sent without the public's consent.

The campaign targeted around 495,000 people in Labour strongholds ahead of last June's local and European elections.

Deputy Information Commissioner David Smith said calls of this type could cause "annoyance and disruption" to those receiving them.

He ordered Labour to ensure that no more such calls were made without consent and warned failure to comply would be a criminal offence which could lead to prosecution.

The party have a right to appeal within 28 days.

Labour had previously said it would stop automated calls of this kind after the commissioner received a complaint about the use of the Liz Dawn recording in 2007.

"The ICO has consistently made clear that the promotion of a political party counts as marketing," Deputy Commissioner Smith added.

"The fact that the calls were targeted at what were believed to be Labour supporting areas confirmed our view that they were designed to promote the Labour Party's electoral cause by encouraging Labour supporters to vote."

In 2005 the ICO issued the main political parties with "updated guidance" about their obligations under the Data Protection Act and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations.

Since then the Conservative Party, the Scottish National Party and the Liberal Democrats have all been issued with "enforcement notices" after breaching the rules.