AN East Lancs MP said he will be disappointed if a local candidate is not short-listed in the race to find his successor.

Peter Pike, who has been Burnley's MP for 20 years, has decided to stand down at the next general election. He spoke on the day that Labour Party members were due to draw up a short-list of candidates.

Twelve women have been nominated and Mr Pike said: "As a party member and member of parliament for Burnley for the last 20 years, I would be disappointed if no local candidate were to receive a nomination to be considered for the short-list.

"I do not want to express a view on who should, or should not be selected, but I do believe that the party should be given the opportunity to consider a candidate with local connections."

Mr Pike's daughter Jane and borough councillor Carole Galbraith are the only two candidates nominated who are Burnley born and bred.

But the two favourites for the short-list are Kitty Usher, policy adviser to the Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, and Debbie Brannon, regional and political officer for manufacturing union Amicus, who are not from the area.

The nominations, made by branches of the Labour Party in Burnley and affiliated trade unions, closed at noon yesterday.

The local party's general committee will meet tonight to draw up the short-list. The chosen candidates will then speak at a hustings meeting on Thursday, February 12, and party members will vote on who they want to stand as the Burnley's Labour candidate in the next general election.