AN election fraud probe has been launched after claims a Blackburn man's postal voting form was filled in and returned by someone else.

The Crown Prosecution Service has been asked to determine whether a Blackburn man should be charged in connection with the matter.

Police are investigating a number of complaints arising from this year's all-postal local and European election on June 10.

One complaint arose from an allegation that a Blackburn man's voting form was filled in and returned by a third party, who has not been named.

Detectives have investigated that claim and passed a file to the CPS, who will decide if a prosecution should be brought. Police are keen to stress there have been no arrests and no-one has been charged. Det Insp Ian Critchley, from Blackburn CID said: "Police have received a small number of referrals from Blackburn with Darwen Council in relation to improprieties regarding postal voting.

"We are working closely with the local authority and investigations are under way."

Meanwhile police in Burnley are still interviewing 60 people who applied for proxy postal votes after the borough's returning officer, Dr Gillian Taylor, alerted the authorities to a possible fraud.

Elections staff in Burnley became suspicious after high numbers of applications for proxy votes were received for the Daneshouse and Stoneyholme wards.

All postal-ballots should, theoretically, reduce the number of proxy vote applications because people have no need to make a trip to a polling station.

In Accrington detectives are carrying out a "quality assurance check" of votes cast in Central ward.

Labour in councillors Hyndburn alleged irregularities had taken place after former Central ward councillor Sardar Ali lost his seat to Conservative newcomer Allah Dad.

Now the police are looking at ballot papers and carrying out checks to determine if fraud did take place.

Det Insp Pete Broome said: "There is no evidence at the moment of any election fraud and our quality assurance checks are designed to ascertain whether such actions have taken place. It isn't an investigation at this stage."