UK residents are "scandalized" after GOP's Illinois candidate uses the image of his village to attack his opponent Dem

Residents of a UK coastal village are upset by the fact that a Republican congressional candidate from Illinois has used a photo of their neighborhood to attack his Democratic opponent.

Nick Stella, running against the reigning representative. Bill FosterGeorge (Bill) William FosterCongress and Trump are out of sync on intellectual property Night Defense: House adopts defense spending bill 5B | Pentagon advances on Trump military parade | Mattis pledges "unequivocal" support for South Korean defense: House passes Bill 5B on Pentagon spending MORE (D), in the 11th district of Illinois, used an image of Jaywick Sands, near Clacton in Essex, in a Facebook ad.

The advertisement shows a street and ruined houses, and warns voters that supporting Stella's opponent would be a return to "foreclosures, unemployment and economic recession!"

"Only you can prevent that from becoming reality!", Reads in the announcement, which does not name the city shown in the pictures.

Paul Honeywood, a member of the Tendring District Cabinet who oversees Jaywick Sands, criticized Stella for using an old image of the village for political purposes.

"I know a lot of Jaywick Sands residents will be outraged to be smudged this way, and rightly so," Honeywood said, according to the BBC.

According to government data, Jaywick Sands has been ranked the most depraved district in England in 2010 and 2015 and has since undergone significant improvements in its infrastructure.

Tendring District Council has provided the BBC with a more recent photo of the area, which shows a newly paved road and houses in better condition.

Raquel Mitchell, director of operations for the Stella campaign, told the BBC that the campaign was not about defaming the village.

"We have learned, and it is good to know, that the illustrated city has overcome its economic difficulties," Mitchell said. "Let her illustrate how a government that meets the needs of the people can overcome its difficulties, that these days remain well behind us.

"I'm sure Jaywick Sands is charming," she added. "A future visit might be a great way to exchange ideas between the two regions."

Foster is expected to be re-elected in the Illinois District.