AN MP who grew up in Burnley faces a legal challenge from a rival he narrowly defeated today in the first attempt to overturn a general election result in almost a century.

Labour's Phil Woolas, re-elected to the Oldham East and Saddleworth seat in May, faces the rare legal challenge from Liberal Democrat Elwyn Watkins for alleged "corrupt practices".

Mr Watkins claims campaign material published by his opponent was "misleading" and the result was swayed by attacks in Labour leaflets over foreign donations, support from Muslim extremists and "vote fixing".

Mr Woolas, who attended Nelson Grammar School - now called Pendle Vale - and Nelson & Colne College, won the seat on May 6 by just 103 votes following two recounts.

Labour said it will "robustly defend" the case.

Mr Watkins' challenge is based on a rarely-used clause in election laws to declare the result void and force a rerun.

Section 106 of the Representation of the People Act (1983) makes it an offence for anyone to publish "any false statement of fact in relation to the candidate's personal character or conduct" in a bid to prevent them being elected "unless he can show that he had reasonable grounds for believing, and did believe, that statement to be true".

Mr Watkins said two publications contained "numerous misleading and erroneous claims regarding my personal character and reputation, and that of my campaign".

The last time an election result was challenged on the basis of corrupt practices was back in 1911 and was successful.

Following a hearing in July at the High Court in London, Mr Watkins was given leave to challenge the poll result.

Two High Court judges will consider the case at a specially-convened election court, sitting at Saddleworth Civic Hall in Uppermill. The case is scheduled to last for five days.

A second such challenge also begins on Monday in Northern Ireland over the Fermanagh and South Tyrone result where Sinn Fein's Michelle Gildernew won by just four votes over independent Rodney Connor.