Locals 'turn Guyanese' in mix-up

Thousands of south Cambridgeshire residents have had their nationality mistakenly changed to Guyanese.

About 3,000 people were sent documents telling them they had been recorded as being from Guyana, in South America, on an updated electoral roll.

South Cambridgeshire District Council said the nationality of those affected was on the current roll as "unknown".

It said new software would not allow them to remain without a nationality, but the software has now been updated.

A council spokeswoman said: "We have recently changed the computer system in our elections department.

FACTS ON GUYANA Guyana is a former British colony Cambridge is 4,536 miles (7,300km) from Guyana's capital, Georgetown The only English-speaking country in South America, Guyana became independent in 1966 It has a population of about 750,000 and covers an area of 214,969 sq km (83,000 sq miles) A third of its population is descended from African slaves, brought by the Dutch to work on sugar plantations

"Unfortunately the new system did not allow us to move people whose nationality was on the electoral roll with the status of 'unknown' across to the new system with the same status of 'unknown'.

"The software changed these people's nationalities to Guyanese.

"The new software has now been updated and those people, who have received a form stating their nationality as Guyanese, have had their nationality changed back to 'unknown'."

The council spokeswoman assured residents the information was being prepared for a register to be published in December, so it would not affect their current entry on the electoral roll.

"However, this is an ideal opportunity for residents to tell us their nationality," she said.