Delay UK voter ID checks or face election result challenges, officials warn

Exclusive: Lack of time to implement photo ID rules may prevent voting' in English local elections in May

Electoral officials and councillors are urging ministers to delay the rollout of mandatory voter ID checks at May's local elections, warning that a short timetable and lack of clarity about the rules could cause thousands of people to be disfranchised.

One senior election official, who is responsible for voting in a major local authority, told the Guardian they feared a large number of election results could end up being challenged in the courts if the system was implemented as planned.