The biggest train drivers' union is pressing ahead with a strike ballot among its members on Southern Railway and accused the company of making "deliberately misleading" statements.

Aslef had started balloting its members for industrial action in a row over driver-only trains, but suspended it at the weekend because of a "technical hitch".

Southern passenger services director Angie Doll said the union had "called off" the ballot, adding that it gave time for talks to try to resolve the row.

Aslef announced that ballot papers will go out on November 14, with the result due two weeks later.

The union will have to give seven days' notice of any strikes, raising the threat of pre-Christmas walkouts by hundreds of drivers.

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan said he wanted to set the record straight after "deliberately misleading statements" made over the weekend by Ms Doll.

"Contrary to what Govia Thameslink Railway (Southern's owner) is claiming, we have not cancelled our ballot for industrial action.

"Today we informed the company that, after a technical hitch, we are issuing fresh ballot papers. We are determined to get this absolutely right because we know just how litigious GTR is.

"Angie Doll also claimed she now wants to sit down and talk to us. No, she doesn't. The company has no intention of talking because the company has no intention of negotiating. If it did, it would have done a deal - as ScotRail has done - to solve this problem for passengers, staff, and everyone who has an interest in the proper, and safe, running of a modern railway.

"All Angie Doll wants to do is push the company's ridiculous plan to put passengers, and jobs, at risk so the company can squeeze even more profit out of the franchise. That's what she wants. But it's not what passengers want."

Southern still faces a series of strikes in the coming weeks by the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union in the bitter dispute over the role of conductors.

The latest 48-hour walkout ended on Saturday night, with further stoppages planned later this month, early December, in the run-up to Christmas and over New Year.

The RMT is also balloting its driver members for strikes.

Southern announced that 215 conductors - 96% of the total - have signed up to the new on-board supervisor role (OBS) from January, which focuses on customer service and moves the operation of closing doors to the driver.

A further 222 people will remain in their existing roles as conductors on certain Southern services.

The train company said it will be recruiting a further 100 OBS roles to work across Southern and Gatwick Express services, with an advertising campaign being launched later this week.

Ms Doll said: "We've now got over 200 conductors signed up to the new on-board role and over the last two sets of strikes nearly a third of conductors turned up for work, disproving the union's claims that support is rock solid.

"Drivers having sole control of the train has been shown over decades of operation to be entirely safe and 15 years of research by independent rail safety experts corroborates this. We'll have a second member of safety-trained staff on more trains than we do today so the RMT's arguments are baseless and vacuous.

"The union leadership has stooped to a new low by calling strike dates over the Christmas period and we know of some conductors who have now resigned their union membership over this selfish, shameful and spiteful act.

"The union's leadership is maintaining a clear and blatant disregard for workers, families, the elderly and the disabled seeking to be with loved ones over the holiday season. It's a time for Santa and mistletoe, not strikes and misery. The union must think again about their vindictive desire to see Christmas cancelled for the travelling public.

"A large number have defied the picket line to work during the strikes and many others that join the strikes do so under significant peer pressure and with great reluctance."

The RMT has said the industrial action continues to be solidly supported.

General secretary Mick Cash said: "Nothing has changed in terms of the core issues at the heart of this dispute."