THE Conservative Party is investigating after a banned solicitor applied to become a Parliamentary election candidate.

Tories in Blackburn are to contact Central Office to pass on details about Bushra Anwar after it was revealed she had been shadowing an MP as part of a cross-party initiative drive to get more ethnic minority people involved in politics.

Miss Anwar, of Beardwood Park, Blackburn, appeared on television and radio over the weekend talking about how hard it was for an Asian woman to break into mainstream politics.

When first contacted by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph yesterday she described herself as a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, one of a number of people selected for a national list lined up to take on Labour at the next election.

She later confirmed she was not yet a PPC, but had applied.

Now Blackburn Conservative Association is to inform party chiefs that Miss Anwar was struck off by the Law Society in May 1999, after admitting a number of counts of serious misconduct.

These included being fined in the High Court for contempt of court, employing a struck off solicitor in her firm, which was based in Strawberry Bank, Blackburn, making a false statement to her bank and internal accounting irregularities.

Joe Smith, Blackburn Conservative Association chairman, said today: "We will be contacting Central Office to explain the background."

A spokesman for the Conservative Central Office said: "She's not on our central list of candidates and we will be investigating her background. Her application to be a PCC has not even been considered yet."

Miss Anwar is part of a Tory drive called 'Operation Black Vote' designed to get more ethnic minority MPs in the party. The project is being spearheaded by Andrew Lansley, who quit the Shadow Cabinet after the last election.

A spokesman for Mr Lansley said: "Miss Anwar is spending some time shadowing the MP as part of Operation Black Vote which aims to get more people from the ethnic minorities interested and involved in politics."

Miss Anwar said she joined the Conservative Party in the mid-1990s and added: "It's important to stand because democracy is all about representation of the communities of England in the places where it matters.

"Being a lawyer you can't help but find the flaws, hearing problems from the community. It's a natural progression to go into politics where laws are made.

"I want to stand for the Conservative Party because my views are Conservative, and I've been involved in community politics since I became a solicitor. I'm hoping for a safe seat."

Joan Bamber, secretary of Blackburn Conservative Association, said: "We've had communication from Miss Anwar, but she is not our PPC.

"We haven't elected who will stand against Jack Straw at the next elections.

"I am concerned by this. Miss Anwar is not even a member of our association."

A spokesman for the Law Society confirmed Miss Anwar was no longer a practising solicitor.