GREATER Manchester Police have passed a file relating to Tory election spending to the Crown Prosecution Service.

Bury North MP, David Nuttall was investigated by the force over whether he breached election spending rules.

A spokeswoman for the force, said: "Greater Manchester Police have received an allegation of electoral fraud in relation to the 2015 general election.

"A file has been passed to the Crown Prosecution Service for a decision."

Bury North MP David Nuttall said candidates were just doing what they were told.

He said: "The issue is whether some of the costs of the Battlebus which visited Bury on one day prior to the general election should be declared nationally or locally.

"The Party instructed candidates and agents they were paying the costs and it was national spend.

"Not surprisingly candidates across the country did what they were told and did not include any of the cost.

"The Electoral Commission report issued this morning (March 16) refers to the Battlebus and confirms it has found no evidence to suggest the Party had funded the Battlebus with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates."

The Electoral Commission has fined the Conservative Party £70,000, the report says: "The inclusion in the Party return of what in the Commission’s view should have been reported as candidate spending meant that there was a realistic prospect that this enabled its candidates to gain a financial advantage over opponents."

The party is accused of bussing activists around the country to drum up support in constituencies but claiming the cost as part of its national campaign.

The Commission also said: "The Commission has found no evidence to suggest that the Party had funded the Battlebus2015 campaign with the intention that it would promote or procure the electoral success of candidates. Nevertheless, coaches of activists were transported to marginal constituencies to campaign alongside or in close proximity to local campaigners. In the Commission’s view, there was a clear and inherent risk that activists might engage in candidate campaigning.