DETECTIVES have made an arrest as part of an election fraud probe in East Lancashire.
Police yesterday detained a 47-year-old man from the Durham area on suspicion of electoral fraud and last night he remained in police custody.
A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “The arrest follows reports of alleged irregularities in the local elections in Pendle in May 2016.”
Several complaints were made regarding allegations of postal fraud and voter intimidation in the Marsden ward in Nelson.
Conservative Tommy Cooney retained the seat, with the the British National Party’s John Rowe coming in second, with Labour’s John Richardson in third.
Pendle Tory MP, Andrew Stephenson, said: “We raised concerns after the last elections in Marsden ward.
“I hope that the allegations will be thoroughly investigated.”
Elections in Pendle have been dogged by allegations of fraud for several years and the Electoral Commission has highlighted the borough as an area of concern, particularly with regards to postal voting.
Similar concerns were raised in Burnley, which led to the jailing of two councillors in 2006.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article