Sir – On polling day I had the most disgusting and off-putting voting experience of my life. Apparently at the request of the political parties, instead of all those living on the Barton estate in Headington voting at the light, airy, warm community centre, as always in the past, the residents of just 14 Barton roads voted there on Thursday.

The rest of us, including those living in accommodation for the elderly, just a couple of hundred yards from the community centre, were told to go to the other end of the estate to the Barton Pavilion (a misnomer if ever there was one).

Badly signposted, way back off the road up a path that, for those voting later in the day, was unlit, and as far from the notion of a ‘pavilion’ as it could be, it was dingy, dirty, chilly and benefited from the strong acrid reek of stale human urine.

The two election officers sitting inside didn’t have to wait for my comment, just to read my face, before saying “We know. But you can leave in a minute — we have to stay here all day.”

The third election officer was sitting outside because she couldn’t bear the smell. The move to split the polling stations was meant to make sure that people would be closer to a place to vote, and thus encourage more ballots.

However, the division was obviously made without reference to a map, as the line was drawn about 50 yards from the community centre, forcing everyone beyond that line to walk or drive up to three-tenths of a mile in order to cast their votes — except, of course, those living as close to the pavilion as I and many others are to the community centre. I’m enraged.

Pippa Gwilliam (Ms), Barton