ALASTAIR Campbell believes Burnley can avoid relegation this season – because of statistics put together by his son.

The former Labour spin doctor and keen Claret spoke exclusively to the Lancashire Telegraph ahead of being guest of honour at a gala dinner for the Rossendale and Darwen Labour group, hosted by parliamentary hopeful Will Straw.

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And asked if his beloved Burnley would be able to stay in the Premier League this season, he replied: “I think we can do, definitely.

“My son, who is a qualified coach, is really into analytics and he has worked it out on his model and he has got four other teams going down ahead of us, “I have been to every game this year apart from two and we are playing good football.

“You do worry about the size of the squad but apart from the game at West Brom we have not been outclassed by anyone this season.

“Sean Dyche is great. He plays nice football and he does not moan and whinge, he just gets on with it.

“We’ve got players who were okay in the Championship and he has got them playing better now than last season.”

Mr Campbell also spoke fondly of former Claret Clarke Carlisle after the 35-year-old spoke out about his suicide attempt and jumping in front of a truck because he was suffering from depression.

Mr Campbell, who talks openly about his breakdown in the 80s, said: “I saw Clarke at an event on Saturday and it is incredible he was not killed.

“For someone who does not understand they would look at him and say he has got lots of money, a nice house, a lovely wife, what is he doing that for?

“Clarke would not do that unless he was completely desperate.

“But he is a great campaigner on this and he will be again.”

On May’s General Election, Mr Campbell said Labour would win, but admitted it would be a ‘very tough fight’.

He said: "East Lancashire has always been a key battleground.

"Years ago I never would have thought Burnley would not be Labour and then the LibDems won it.

"We have to fight to win that back. But that sense of tribal loyalty is not as strong as it was.

"The landscape is changing and this election is going to be such an important fight."