BOLTON South-east MP Brian Iddon has been reported to the Speaker of the House of Commons over claims he misled MPs over road deaths in Bolton.

Election rival Deborah Dunleavy has written to the Speaker, Michael Martin, asking him to look into a speech made by Dr Iddon in which he claimed there had been six instances of deaths by dangerous driving in an 18-month period in his constituency.

But Miss Dunleavy, prospective Parliamentary candidate for the Conservatives, claims that information she has obtained from the police under new Freedom of Information laws proves there have been only two deaths over that period in the whole of Bolton.

She is linking his comments to the council receiving £750,000 in funding from the Government to tackle roads problems in Bolton, which has the third worst record for instances of deaths and serious injuries in Britain.

According to Hansard, the record of comments made in the Commons on January 11, Dr Iddon said: "My constituency has a particularly bad record and we are very grateful to the Government for giving the local authority £750,000 as a pilot measure.

"In 18 months, there have been six very tragic incidents in my constituency of death by dangerous driving."

Miss Dunleavy said: "This clearly points to Dr Iddon implying that the money came about due to the incorrect information on the number of deaths by dangerous driving. Bolton Council hold records clearly showing that the money had been applied for by the council at a similar time to improve road safety on a matched funding basis."

The money is being used to fund seven projects across Bolton to improve road safety in areas such as Daubhill, Farnworth, Tonge Moor, Halliwell, Burnden and Harper Green.

But Dr Iddon said he was standing by his comments.

"I can prove to her that these people have been killed in my constituency whether the police have recorded them as death by dangerous driving or not," he said.

"She clearly does not know what is going on in Bolton South-east and I think she could pick better grounds for a political debate.

"I wonder if she is concerned about people dying on the roads at all."