ELECTION organisers have been left red-faced - after they sent out voting cards which direct people AWAY from their polling stations.

Voters in one ward are directed to a road a quarter of a mile from their station.

They are correctly instructed that the place to cast their vote is St Peter's House on Ashley Road, Hale. But the destination circled on the map on their card is Willow Tree Road, at the other side of the village.

Voters in another ward are told their polling booths are in St Peter's Assembly Rooms, on Cecil Road, Hale. But the building marked out on the map is Hale United Reformed Church, Ashley Road.

Now the council is having to fork out to write to thousands of voters to correct the clangers.

Local historian David Bainton says: "This is the first time Trafford has issued these maps and it has marked the wrong places. People who know the area will ignore it but anyone new will go to the wrong building and find it shut.

"You could have hundreds or even thousands of people turning up to vote at the wrong place - it is a complete botch-up."

He adds: "Goodness knows why Trafford has issued these maps. It has gone to ridiculous expense and got it wrong."

Electoral services manager Pat Dickens says: "Sending out location maps is a new initiative which the council hopes will encourage more people to vote.

"We are grateful to SAM for contacting us about this. However, we were already aware that, although all the correct polling station addresses were printed on the cards, there was a problem with one or two of the maps.

"We are now writing to the residents concerned with the correct map details."

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