Conservative candidate guilty of electoral fraud

A man who stood for the Conservatives in the 2022 local elections has been found guilty of electoral fraud.

Lancashire Police said Mohammed Afzal, from Accrington, submitted a false signature on his nomination paper to stand as the Tory candidate in the Netherton ward on Hyndburn Borough Council in May 2022.

The 41-year-old, of Whalley Road, was found guilty of fraud by corrupt practice in an election under the Representation of the People Act 1983 at Preston Crown Court.

Det Con Nicolas Walker said the force was committed to "thoroughly" investigating "any claims of wrongdoing in the election process".

A force representative said ahead of the 2022 elections, Afzal submitted a nomination paper which showed 10 signatures of local voters agreeing to his nomination as candidate.

It said the case against him was that "one of those signatures was false and that Afzal knew it was false when he submitted it".

Afzal lost the election by 402 votes to Labour's Jodi Clements.

He is due to be sentenced at Burnley Crown Court on 21 June.

Speaking after the hearing, Det Con Walker said it was "vital during elections that democracy is protected".

"Lancashire Police will thoroughly investigate any claims of wrongdoing in the election process," she added.