A LABOUR boss today called for the resignation of Burnley councillor and magistrate Arif Khan as a new proxy vote row erupted on election day.

Daneshouse candidate Rafique Malik said LibDem ward rival Coun Khan should go after it emerged his mother and father are registered for proxy votes at today's council polls -- even though they live in Pakistan.

Coun Malik, who will become Burnley's first Asian mayor if he successfully defends the seat against LibDem rival Fazal Subhan, said Coun Khan should bear full responsibility for the appearance on the electoral register of his parents as residing at his Devonshire Road home.

Burnley council election officer Alison Morville said a full inquiry into how the couple came to be on the roll would be launched after today's elections, and if there was cause for concern, the matter would be referred to police.

But she added that because the names were on the register, they qualified for a proxy vote in Burnley -- even though they had never lived in this country.

The proxies for father Rehmat Khan and mother Gul Begum were obtained in the name of Coun Khan's daughter Saddif Khan.

They were spotted by Labour supporter Sikander Khan -- no relation -- of Elm Street, who says he will lodge an official complaint with election officers today.

He said he knows the family well and claims that Coun Khan's father has never been to Britain and that his mother visited some years' ago.

"They were registered last year as well and it is wrong," said taxi driver Mr Khan of Elm Street. Said Coun Malik: "I bear no grievance against the daughter -- she is only being respectful to her father who in my opinion must bear responsibility for people appearing on the register as living with him when they do not."

"Coun Khan is unfit to be a councillor and magistrate and he should resign," added Coun Malik.

When contacted Coun Khan said his parents had visited Burnley last year.

"If someone is on the list they can vote, but if the town hall says we cannot, we won't.

"I have told my daughter not to use the proxies. We won't use them if there is going to be trouble about it.

"These are just election dirty tricks being used against us. I don't want to comment."

Minutes later Coun Khan rang back to state: "I totally deny their allegations.

"I have spoken to the election officer who says if they are on the register they can vote -- it is up to me to decide."

When told only residents, not visitors are allowed to register to vote Coun Khan said: "Maybe someone from my family filled in the form by mistake."

When pressed, Coun Khan refused to say when his parents had visited Britain.

Miss Morville said she understood that the proxy votes would not be used today.

Voting got off to a brisk start in Burnley today where 42 candidates are contesting the 17 seats on offer -- 14 of them being defended by Labour.

Opposition parties are hoping to make real inroads into Labour's traditional stranglehold on the council, where its overall majority has already been whittled down to just 12 seats.

One leading hopeful is present Mayoress of Burnley Pat Chadwick, fighting to win Queensgate from Labour for the Independent group.