FORMER Burnley MP Peter Pike has ruled out a potential return to Parliament.

Mr Pike, who represented the town in the Commons between 1983 and 2005, said he had been approached to stand as a parliamentary candidate next year.

But yesterday he admitted he had to be “sensible” and resist the calls to throw his hat into the ring.

He said: “I have been asked by a number of people both in the public and in the Labour Party but I will not put my name forward.

“I am 72 now. If the general election is held next year I will be 73 and then it is a five-year commitment.

“I regret retiring when I did in 2005 but that is a different proposition to going back to it.

“I have to be sensible and in all honesty that would not be a sensible move.”

The race to be Burnley and Padiham’s next MP was thrown wide open last month when Kitty Ussher announced she would stand down at the next General Election after being caught up in the expenses saga.

Mrs Ussher, who was selected from an all-woman Labour shortlist in 2005, was found to have ‘flipped’ her main and second homes to dodge capital gains tax.

Former Lancashire County Council cabinet member Tony Martin has already said he would like to be the Labour candidate if the party selects an open shortlist.

Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle has already been selected as the Liberal Democrats’ candidate and Richard Ali will represent the Conservatives.