A RIVAL denied “smearing” Liverpool- born Andy Burnham as the Labour leadership race threatened to turn nasty.

The shadow Health Secretary hit out at “malicious briefing” after a newspaper report suggested he was on the verge of pulling out of the contest because he feared finishing last.

Mr Burnham insisted the rumour was untrue, pointing to growing support from constituency parties and on his website.

He added: “It was total rubbish. It was a sign of desperation.”

The spotlight quickly fell on Ed Balls, the shadow Education Secretary, widely seen as pitching for support from the same left-wing, Northern parts of the Labour electorate as Mr Burnham.

But Mr Balls immediately denied any suggestion he was briefing against his former Cabinet colleague, telling a magazine: “It is complete nonsense.

“Andy and I get on very well and no one from my team was involved in these briefings. Andy and I both agreed any suggestion of him pulling is out rubbish.

“Both of us think there is mischief being made, but it is not coming from my team or his team. It is coming from a third party.”

The other three contestants are David Miliband, his brother Ed Miliband and Diane Abbott.