A prospective councillor involved in controversial local elections is calling for a re-run.

Independent candidate Brian Hudson is asking Bradford council to re-run the election in Keighley West ward after claims of intimidation were made by Labour councillor Barry Thorne.

As the Keighley News has reported over the last two weeks, the Conservatives have hit back at Cllr Thorne's claims.

Cllr Thorne won the seat with 1,716 votes. The Tories' Arshed Majeed polled 1,254, Mr Hudson won 701 and Liberal Democrat James Keeley 295.

Now Mr Hudson has asked Bradford council's Electoral Registration Officer Philip Robinson to declare the election result null and void and organise another vote.

In a letter to the Keighley News, Mr Hudson says: "Cllr Thorne says that had he lost at the local council elections then he would have called for a re-run of the elections due to alleged intimidation of voters.

"If Cllr Thorne's allegations that any part of the electorate was intimidated into voting for or against one particular candidate, then surely the councillor is right - the election should be re-run. It is my belief, however, that it does not necessarily follow, if the claim is proven, that all those intimidated would have voted for Cllr Thorne, or for that matter Arshed Majeed.

"As a candidate in the same ward I feel strongly that even if one person was intimidated into voting for a particular candidate and so, by implication, against me, then democracy demands that the public is entitled to another election within the area."

A spokesman for Bradford council says: "An election can only be delcared null and void by an election Court following an election petition presented either by the candidate or four more local government electors. A petition then has to be lodged at the High Court within 21 days of the election."

The claims of intimidation were made by Cllr Thorne on the morning after the elections on May 6. He alleges supporters of Mr Majeed intimidated voters outside Highfield Middle School, which was being used as the polling station.

Cllr Thorne - who retained his seat with a majority of 462 over Mr Majeed - also claims that he was frightened to campaign on the streets.

Keighley MP Ann Cryer told the Keighley News last week that she had found the Pres-iding Officer David Simpson 'a shaken man' after he had claimed to have been manhandled and intimidated.

Mr Majeed strenuously denies any claims that his supporters intimidated voters with local Conservative Party agent John Galvin describing the claims as 'arrant nonsense'.

Last week legal experts at City Hall in Bradford decided to refer the matter to the police after studying a report drawn up by the Presiding Officer. A police spokesman says the matter is under investigation.

Letter, page 10

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