THE jailing of Ali and Hussain bars them from standing as councillors again under local government rules.

The regulations say that a councillor sentenced to a term of imprisonment for more than three months is barred from office for five years.

The jailing will spark two vacancies in the Daneshouse with Stoneyholme ward and means the Liberal Democrat numbers in the council chamber have been reduced to 16.

The total leaves them equal with Labour, who also have 16 councillors, but they will retain control of the authority because of their coalition with the five Conservative members, giving them a total of 21.

Ali's vacant seat will be filled at a by-election but Hussain is due to retire in May next year so his vacant seat will be filled at those local elections.

The two men had already been suspended from the party in the North West and are facing a motion to expel them.

However, both men are believed to be in the process of lodging appeals against their convictions - and subsequent sentence.

Liberal Democrat leader Gordon Birtwistle said the men had spoken to a barrister following their trial with a bid to launching an appeal.

Police launched an investigation after former Burnley Council's chief executive Gillian Taylor became suspicious about the number of proxy vote the pair submitted on behalf of others.