AN ELECTION official says the council have been unable to persuade anyone to make a written statement over the police's electoral fraud investigation.

Police were called in after Wycombe District Council received complaints from electors who said they felt pressured into signing postal voting forms.

But nobody is willing to formally provide evidence, a council official has told independent candidate Darren Hayday after he raised his own suspicions.

The council official told him in an email: "Unfortunately however without hard evidence, the police can do nothing, and as yet I have been unable to persuade anyone to make a written statement because they are concerned at how they will be treated in their community.

"If you have any success in persuading people to come forward then we will be very happy to take it further, but until we get some proof, there is absolutely nothing that we can do, however frustrating (and illegal/unethical) this may be."

Area Commander, Supt Gilbert Houalla, said: “I can confirm that the council has made us aware of some potentially specific allegations of this nature. Election fraud is an offence and , like any crime that happens in our area, one that we take very seriously.

“Nobody should feel pressurised in voting for a particular person and should this be the case, then I can offer the assurance that if it is reported to us then we will carry out a thorough investigation.”

A joint statement from Gillian Hibberd, Returning Officer and Karen Satterford, Deputy Returning Officer read: "We have received some specific allegations that cause enough concern for us to have referred them to the police to do an initial investigation. As this is a police investigation, it is inappropriate for me to comment further."