AN OUSTED MP has called for the authorities in Bradford to get to grips with what he has described as "Pakistan politics".

David Ward, the former Liberal Democrat MP who lost his seat in the recent General Election, made a controversial claim that sharp practice imported from Pakistan was being allowed to flourish in areas of Bradford with high Asian populations.

He said the problem was not limited to one particular party, and included intimidation, bullying, flyposting, inappropriate behaviour at polling stations and dirty politics.

Mr Ward, who lost out to Labour's Imran Hussain by a wide margin, said this wasn't "sour grapes" and he wasn't blaming his defeat at the polls on electoral malpractice.

He said the real victims were the many decent people from these communities who were entitled to free and fair elections.

Mr Ward said posters or flags had appeared on people's property without their permission, while an anonymous leaflet had accused him of "hating Muslims".

And he said his team had called police four separate times on polling day about inappropriate behaviour outside polling stations in predominantly Asian areas of Bradford East.

Mr Ward said he was compiling evidence of all these activities and would be speaking to the authorities about his concerns shortly, but that it was "not good for the image of Bradford".

Mr Hussain, the new Bradford East MP, said he was more than happy to look at Mr Ward's dossier, but didn't share his concerns.

He said: "I think the elections were free and fair. I didn't witness anything that seemed un-free or unfair."

Last year, the Electoral Commission identified Bradford as one of 16 areas where there was a "higher risk" of electoral fraud.

It warned there were "particular issues faced by voters in some British Pakistani and British Bangladeshi communities" which left them more vulnerable to becoming victims of electoral fraud.

Both the police and Bradford Council said they would look into any matters Mr Ward made them aware of.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said: "We would urge anyone with evidence of electoral fraud in Bradford, including intimidation, to report it to the police as quickly as possible, or if they want to do so anonymously, to contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."