A Conservative candidate has denied claims that a former party member who is charged with trying to rig the results of the last General Election is part of his campaign.

Activist and former Bradford councillor Jamshed Khan, along with three others, will appear in court later this year facing charges of electoral fraud.

Despite resigning from the Conservative party as a result of the vote-rigging investigation, Mr Khan was last week seen at two campaign events in Bradford West.

These involved Conservative Party chairman Eric Pickles and shadow International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell, canvassing with Bradford West candidate Zahid Iqbal.

Mr Iqbal told the Telegraph & Argus: “Mr Khan isn’t a part of our campaign team. What we are running is a very, very inclusive campaign. We are running an open and inclusive campaign so anyone in the city is welcome to attend.

“That meeting (Eric Pickles’ visit) was an open meeting for anyone to attend as long as they didn’t heckle the minister. If we didn’t do this, how can we convince people to vote Conservative?”