NO criminal charges are to be brought in relation to Conservative spending on the 2015 General Election campaigns, despite a watchdog finding electoral rules were broken.

The Crown Prosecution Service said, even though spending returns submitted by some of the party’s candidates and officials may have been inaccurate, there was insufficient evidence to prove they were knowingly dishonest.

Prime Minister Theresa May said it confirmed that Tory expense returns were “properly reported and properly declared” and that “candidates did nothing wrong”.

One of those investigated, Lincoln candidate Karl McCartney, accused the Electoral Commission of a “politically-motivated witch-hunt”.

The announcement, just a day before the deadline for General Election nominations, lifted a shadow from the Tory campaign.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said he was “surprised” at the decision, while Tim Farron said, while Tories may have observed the letter of the law, they had “driven a battlebus and horses” through its spirit.

Police investigations into at least 30 individuals centred on allegations that expenses relating to busloads of Conservative activists sent to key seats were reported as part of national spending rather than falling within the lower constituency limits.

In March, the party was fined a record £70,000 by the Electoral Commission for “numerous failures” in reporting expenses for the 2015 General Election, and three 2014 by-elections.

Files of evidence from 14 police forces had not found evidence to justify a prosecution.One file, relating to Thanet South’s Craig Mackinlay, remains under consideration.