A Mid Sussex Labour hopeful who backed a rival Tory's election bid has been barred from a county council poll.

Frederick Harrison decided at the last minute to contest the Cuckfield Rural seat on West Sussex County Council.

He signed his own nomination papers, along with his wife and son, and submitted them half an hour before the deadline.

But he and his family had already signed nomination papers for his Tory opponent and friend Peter Jones.

And his own bid has now been declared invalid because election rules say people can only have their name on one nomination form.

Mr Harrison's wife, Wendy, said today: "It was an honest mistake. We did not realise we couldn't put our names on two nomination papers.

"It was a shame, because Frederick could have got various other people to nominate him.

"In Cuckfield Labour doesn't stand a chance but we felt everyone should have the right to vote, a chance to vote with their hearts."

When asked if a Labour candidate should be nominating a rival Tory candidate, she said: "We know Peter Jones. He's our neighbour and a good friend. We know he'll do a good job and we'll be voting Tory this time."

The rejection of Mr Harrison's nomination means the by-election will be a two-horse race between the Tories and the Lib Dems.

Mr Jones said: "We are all neighbours and upright people doing their good citizenship thing.

"The person you nominate should be a fit person to stand as a candidate for the county. Frederick and I are good friends and we respect our different political views, which is how I think it should be.

"We play golf together and he's about as good a golfer as he is at putting nomination forms in."

Mr Jones said it was a genuine mistake and no one had realised they could not put their names on more than one nomination form.

He described the rule as "bizarre", agreeing Mr Harrison could easily have got other people to back his bid.

Mr Jones said: "I don't think the Conservative party can be described as being in cahoots with Labour. This is all just proof of a good Socialist cock-up."

The Cuckfield Rural seat is known locally as the doughnut because it is made up of a ring of villages around Haywards Heath, including Horsted Keynes and Cuckfield.

Patricia Webster, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said: "My first and final reaction were to think the whole thing was extremely funny. But in the middle of it all I found it very distressing the Labour candidate had backed the Tory candidate."

Cuckfield Rural is typically a strong Conservative seat. The by-election was called after the death of popular Tory councillor Michael Dennis earlier this year.

In the 2001 election the Tories got 2,758 votes, the Liberal Democrats 1,543, and Labour 982. The by-election will take place on July 3.