An Oxford MP is among those who fear local elections have been marred by complications due to new photo ID requirements.

Campaigners have reported “countless examples” of would-be voters being turned away from polling stations on the first English elections where photo identification is mandatory.

The Electoral Reform Society, which has strongly opposed the introduction, urged ministers to rethink the new law as voters went to the polls in the local elections in England yesterday.

Layla Moran, the Lib Dem MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said she had been told of issues in her constituency.

“We’ve had reports by our tellers of people being turned away at polling stations for lack of correct ID,” she said.

“Across the country I’m worried this will be significant numbers and far more than the exactly zero people found guilty of fraud last year.”

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Jess Garland, the Electoral Reform Society’s director of policy and research, said: “We’re already seeing countless examples of people being denied their right to vote due to these new laws.

“From people caught out by having the wrong type of photo ID to others turned away for not looking enough like their photo.

“One voter turned away is one voter too many.

"The Government must take lessons from the problems we’re seeing today at polling stations across the country and face up to the fact that these new rules damage our elections more than they protect them.”

Yesterday afternoon, the Association of Electoral Administrators said that no major problems had been reported, though it would likely not hear about individual voters being turned away.