ONE of the most bitter battles in Bolton's election campaign ended with Labour emphatically winning the new Rumworth ward.

And the result saw two political rivals, who were plunged into a controversy over alleged electoral fraud, shake hands and agree to let bygones be bygones.

Cllr Ismail Ibrahim, who won a seat in Rumworth along with fellow Labour colleagues Cllr Ebrahim Adia and Cllr Rosa Kay, embraced Left-wing RESPECT candidate Neil McAlister, who just a week ago accused him of electoral fraud.

An ecstatic Cllr Ibrahim insisted there were no hard feelings between the pair and said: "I am sure all the candidates in this ward had the best intentions at heart.

"It has been a bitter campaign at times, but they felt they could serve this community better.

"It's a wonderful feeling to be elected and we need to look at Rumworth properly and put our promises into practice."

Police found no evidence of malpractice after investigating claims made by Mr McAlister.

Speaking after last night's count, Mr McAlister said: "I do regret some of the things that happened during the campaign.

"It was a bitter fight in some ways, but I've never had a problem with Ismail and I'm happy to shake his hand. But on a general level, security in elections needs looking into."

Mr McAlister, who polled 540 votes, added: "It's an excellent result for this new party that was only launched in January. This is just the beginning."

Before the election, Labour's vote was rumoured to be in jeopardy due to the Muslim and Asian communities' growing unease with the Iraq conflict.

It was a stormy few weeks in Rumworth during the run-up to the election, with a brick thrown through a window at the home of Bolton's Labour Party chairman, John Hartshorne, by an unknown attacker.

Police also had to intervene when "distasteful" anonymous election leaflets, that attacked Labour for allowing gays in the council cabinet, were found being circulated around Rumworth.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, who was voted in after previously sitting in the old Derby ward, said: "It was a shame the campaign became bitter, but we're delighted with the result."

Cllr Rosa Kay denounced some of the campaigning in the ward.

"There's no excuse for it," she said. "It's very upsetting to see people's windows being broken as things should never get personal."