A candidate in the Spring Valley mayoral primary claims his political signs have been removed in an effort to sabotage his campaign.

Bernard Charles, one of six Democrats in the race, applied for a permit Wednesday to put up 100 campaign signs, which he placed in strategic locations.

On Thursday, however, Charles says he witnessed DPW crews removing 80 of his signs. Charles says he later found out the order to remove the signs came from Mayor George Darden, who is not running for re-election.

Darden says Charles' permit was received late and went unnoticed. By Friday, 43 of the signs were returned in time for the Sept. 15 primary.