Tricia Blakeslee, one of 25 candidates in the upcoming election, said she felt “quite shattered” and sick when she found out early on Saturday morning that two of her corflute signs had been taken from private properties.

Ms Blakeslee said cable ties holding the signs had been cut, and the signs had been removed from two separate private properties in Warrnambool – one on Merri Street, and one on Canterbury Road.

“The people that have been willing to have them on their fences, they’re proud to be promoting me, so they’re not happy either,” she said.

Ms Blakeslee said she has found the experience of running for council to be exhausting but good because she’s met new people.

“You’re meeting many new people perhaps for the first time,” she said.

“So to have something like this happen makes me stop and think ‘Why? Why would anyone want to do that?’”

Ms Blakeslee said she had not noticed any other candidates’ signs missing around town.

“I don’t know what they think they can achieve by doing that,” she said.

Ms Blakeslee said she had had nine signs up around Warrnambool and would not be able to replace the two that had been removed because she didn’t have any spare.