A TORY councillor from Blackburn today distanced himself from a petition he handed over to town hall bosses which people later said they had not signed.

Coun Abdul Bhikha handed the petition to the council on behalf of residents who had been complaining about regular blockages of footpaths on Whalley Range and Randal Street.

Council legal officers told a meeting of the highways committee that an investigation discovered many of the people whose names appeared on the petition later said they did not sign it, while others said they were unaware of what they had signed.

Coun Bhikha told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph he merely received the petition on behalf of the residents who put it together and handed it on to town hall bosses without having been involved in starting the petition

But Labour councillors criticised his role in the saga.

Coun Mike Barrett said: "This is unacceptable behaviour. I would like Coun Bhikha to stand up and explain his behaviour and I call on the Tories to make a public apology.

"I am ashamed of what has gone on."

Coun Ashley Whalley, chairman of the highways committee, said: "The legal department has conducted a thorough investigation into this.

"The moral is if you are getting up a petition, make sure everything is genuine and people know what they are signing, otherwise it just invalidates the whole process." Conservative Coun Fred Slater said: "This is the first time I have heard of this.

"And I am not going to comment until I have spoken to Coun Bhikha.

"If what has been said is the case then I will come back to this committee and there will be a full public apology."

Told of the comments at the meeting Coun Bhikha said: "I was approached by somebody about the petition and told them all I could do was hand it in at the town hall.

"One person gave me the petition and I handed it in. That is the only part I have played in this."

A council spokesman said: "There were question marks over the validity of the signatures. But officers will be looking into the complaints made on the petition."

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