Election fraud probe is launched

Allegations over postal votes are being investigated

Police have launched an investigation in to allegations of electoral fraud in Derby in last May's local elections.

A police spokesman said the investigation centred around the use of postal votes in the Arboretum ward and followed a complaint from the public.

It comes after Labour councillor Abdul Rehman, who lost his seat, raised concerns over the use of postal votes.

City councillors and the returning officer Michael Foote are expected to be interviewed to gather evidence.

"We are investigating allegations of electoral fraud in the local elections in May following a complaint from a member of the public," said the police spokesman

"We are looking at various postal votes in particular. The investigation is at an early stage.

"We will be interviewing various people connected with the city council like the returning officer, various councillors, council staff and potentially voters, anybody who may be connected with this complaint."

Following the election Abdul Rehman, who lost his seat to Liberal Democrat Rehmat Khan, claimed that hours before the deadline for postal votes, on 18 April, 200 postal voting forms were delivered to the council office.