Voting turnouts varied widely across the Bradford district in last week's all-postal elections, new figures reveal.

The percentage of people who returned their votes varied from as low as 32 per cent in Tong to more than 66 per cent in Manningham.

But the number of people casting their vote was much higher in this year's all-postal vote than in previous ballot box elections.

Councillor Choudhary Rangzeb, re-elected for Labour in the new Manningham ward, said there had been a lot of interest in postal voting among the Asian community.

"In previous years women in particular didn't go out to vote," said Coun Rangzeb.

"This time round they had more opportunity to discuss with their families and cast their votes.

"The second reason is the Iraq War. There were a lot of things which prompted people to vote against the Labour Party. I think they came out to cast their votes in protest."

Asked about possible fraud, Coun Rangzeb said he felt that a postal voting system was potentially open to abuse and fraud. Despite rumours of irregularities in Manningham, he said he felt the vote had been as fair as it could have been.

Councillor Amjad Hussain, a newly-elected Conservative representative in the Toller ward - which had the second highest turnout - said he could not explain the high proportion of people voting.

"We were expecting it to be 40 to 45 per cent. It's gone up to 65 per cent and we don't understand why," he said.

Coun Hussain said he did not believe there had been fraud in the elections. But he said people had been asking for help in how to fill in the ballot papers

"We weren't happy with this system," said Coun Hussain. "We want people to go to polling stations."

A Bradford Council spokesman said the low turnout in Tong was traditional. Last year fewer than 20 per cent of the electorate had voted and in some years it had been as low as 17 per cent.

He said the new Manningham ward had previously been part of the University and Undercliffe wards where turnout last year had been 36.2 and 31.9 per cent respectively.

Philip Robinson, the Council's interim chief executive and returning officer, said: "A spread in turnout from one ward to another is to be expected. The average turnout across the district for the local elections this year was 51.25 per cent.

"In the 2003 local elections average turnout was 33 per cent. Turnout ranged from 20 per cent in Tong to 44 per cent in Bradford Moor."

A spokesman for the Electoral Reform Society said the Electoral Commission would be conducting a review of postal voting.

"They have a huge job on their hands but they will look more closely at the anomalies. You can't assume there was something fishy," he said.

Shipley MP Chris Leslie, who is also the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, said there would be a House of Commons debate on the postal voting system next Tuesday.

Mr Leslie said one factor which increased voter interest was in wards where there was a close-fought contest between political rivals. Age also played a part.

"But no one really knows what motivates people to participate," he said.