Lib Dems in election rigging row.

Hot on the heels of their main donor being thrown into prison, the Lib Dems may now find themselves two councillors short, in Burnley, after the pair were found guilty of rigging a local election.

Cllr Manzur Hussain, and Cllr Mozaquir Ali, used proxy votes to secure the Ali's re-election to Burnley council. During the June 2004 campaign, Hussain had knocked on doors, collecting proxy voting forms. Ali then filled in the forms to suggest that each of the original recipients would be on holiday when the election was taking place, and had opted for a proxy vote to be cast.

Their votes were then unsurpringly cast for the Lib Dems. As a result, Ali was duly elected as one of the ward's councillors, securing victory by 369 votes.

The pair now face imprisonment. Serves them right.