Two Oxfordshire MPs have contacted the Oxford Mail, pledging to press the Electoral Commission and the Government to investigate why EU nationals were denied their vote in European elections on Thursday.

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Layla Moran, said the Government was “needlessly denying people their right to vote.”

The Liberal Democrat said: “This is really sad news – I have had multiple constituents who are EU citizens get in touch saying they have been turned away.”

She said voters were refused a vote because they were unaware that they had to complete an additional form, or had not had time to return it.”

She added: “They have been told that their extra forms were not returned on time. Had the Government agreed to take part in these elections in good time much of this would have been resolved – we could have let EU citizens submit the extra form online like everywhere else in the bloc.

READ AGAIN: EU national barred from polls

“To be frank, it’s not good enough – I can’t believe that so many EU citizens have been turned away from taking part in our democracy because of bureaucracy.”

Labour’s Anneliese Dodds, MP for Oxford East, said she was investigating.

One voter turned away was Gauri van Gulic, Europe director of Amnesty International, who said: “I was told: ‘vote in The Netherlands’. What is happening?”