Bradford Council apologises after voters without ID refused ballot paper

Bradford Council has apologised after a presiding officer turned away voters for not bringing photo identification to a polling station, despite none being necessary.

Finnegan Pope-Carter, a company director from Shipley, near Bradford, said he arrived at a polling station at 8am and was asked for identification papers.

He was eventually allowed to vote after fetching his driving licence from his car but Dr Chrys Harris, an archaeological geophysicist and wife to Mr Pope-Carter, was refused multiple times.

"I didn't have my polling card or a photo ID on me. I told them repeatedly that I did not need them either. They refused and said I did," she told the Press Association.

Dr Harris said she almost gave up on casting her vote as the polling station clerks assisted other voters.

"I stood my ground and finally they rang a superior who said I was allowed a ballot," she said.

The couple, both 29, described the experience as "very stressful".

"I think the clerk was just a bit confused," added Mr Pope-Carter.

"She was adamant that she had always insisted on ID from voters without ballot cards in previous years.

"Thankfully Bradford Council have been very supportive and I have been assured that this will not happen again."