TWO corrupt Burnley councillors were today behind bars after being jailed for 18 months for vote rigging offences.

Manzur Hussain, 58, of Milner Street and Mozaquir Ali, 44, of Brougham Street will now lose their seats representing the Daneshouse with Stoneyholme ward.

The pair had been found guilty last month of conspiracy to defraud the returning officer of Burnley Council.

Judge Andrew Gilbart QC said the pair had conducted "a campaign to maximise the vote for Ali", by getting voters to sign blank proxy voting forms.

He also criticised the way Burnley Council had conducted the 2004 local government elections describing the drafting of forms as "sloppy".

Although this had nothing to do with the pair's dishonesty he said.

The court heard that initially 167 votes were investigated by the council and the police but only 55 were found to be false.

The judge said the fraud did not effect the outcome of the case, as Ali had enjoyed a majority of 369 over Labour candidate Nurul Hoque.

"What happened here is that voters were visited by Liberal Democrat canvassers, working for the re-election of Mozaquir Ali," said the judge.

"On the door step they were asked to sign what were essentially blank proxy voting forms.

"The remaining details were filled in later at Liberal Democrat offices, including the reasons why the proxy was required."

He said reasons usually given were of people on holiday. In one case a voter was said to be abroad although he did not have a passport.

"It is dishonest to obtain a signed proxy form. It is dishonest to insert any details of the reason on to that form unless that reason had come from the voter in question," he added.

He said the case "revealed the exploitation of the unsophisticated, uneducated and in some cases confused people".

Ian Bridge on behalf of Hussain said that because of his clients contribution to the community through his work as a councillor and because his infirm wife relied upon him for care he should not be jailed.

"Ultimately this was a dishonest conspiracy to short cut formalities," he added.

Paul Reid QC defending Ali said there had been significant confusion about the difference between proxy votes and postal votes in the election.

Mr Reid added: "This was not about the stealing or misappropriation of votes of people who may have wanted to vote for another person."

The court heard that all but one of the voters had intended to vote for the LibDems anyway.

It was attempt to combat voter apathy which was laudable in principle but wrong in it's execution, added Mr Reid.

The judge agreed that Ali had made a huge contribution to calming the racial tensions in Burnley after the riots.

But, he said: "The truth is the two of you exploited a loophole. That was that the law did not require that an applicant for a proxy vote complete the form himself."

He added: "In my judgment, there has been a culture within your party's organisation in this ward which accepts that rules may be bent to maximise votes."

He said he did not know if this extended to other parts of Burnley, but he hoped the Liberal Democrats would soon restore the distinguished tradition' of a democratic party.

He said deterrent custodial sentences were called for despite the pair having served the borough with distinction.

"But the fact that both of you make sure a real contribution once elected cannot excuse corrupt practices to achieve that election."