A SHADOW has been cast over election results in Horncastle and Tetford after claims of intimidation in the build-up to the vote.

After a closely-fought battle and several recounts, Conservative candidate Michael Clarke, lost his Lincolnshire County Council seat by just two votes.

Following the election, Mr Clarke, brother of Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke, told the Target that in light of what he claims were "irregularities" during the course of the campaign, he is to take advice from the Electoral Commission before presenting a case to the Crown Prosecution Service.

He says possible outcomes could include the election being announced as void and being held again.

He claimed the election had been "marred" after details regarding his business and financial status was anonymously sent to the leader of the county council and also taped to the window of his wife's shop just weeks before voting was due to take place.

He said: "I assume this was in the hope of intimidating me and, I assume, hoping to deter me from standing. My wife and I decided we were not prepared to be scared in this way and after much delay, belatedly fought the election."

He said he is currently pursuing this allegation, together with other alleged "infringements of the electoral process".

But Coun Bill Aron, who won the seat by just two votes told the Target: "It was a good, clean, fair election and I think all the other candidates thought the same."

Labour candidate Barbara Collett said: "I didn't notice anything unusual. As far as the election itself was concerned, it all seemed fine."

Also standing were Liberal Democrat candidate Ian Shepherd, who declined to comment on the situation, and the BNP's Jeffrey Drew who, at the time of going to press, was unavailable to comment.

The Electoral Commission told the Target that complaints surrounding the elections have to be made to the Electoral Petitions Office within 21 days of the results being announced.