Joint effort to stop voting fraud

They will follow Mr Mawrey's recommendations for the election

Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police will work together to prevent a repeat of last year's postal vote fraud, it has been announced.

Election commissioner Richard Mawrey QC said the fraud was so bad it "would disgrace a banana republic".

All party agents have agreed to support the anti-fraud action.

Council chief executive and returning officer Lin Homer said: "We want people in Birmingham to exercise their vote confidently and properly."

"We welcome the support of both the police and all the political parties in ensuring that this election is conducted fairly and in accordance with the rules", she added.

'Banana republic'

Assistant Chief Constable Stuart Hyde said: "We are working closely with the acting returning officer and are satisfied we have done everything possible to outline how we can assist.

"We have provided and continue to provide support for the acting returning officer and I am grateful to all parties for being open and showing commitment to reducing fraud."

Both parties also agreed to follow Mr Mawrey's recommendations for the general election on 5 May.

Birmingham City Council will write to all 53,000 existing postal voters and they will be asked if they want to be removed from the list or their vote to be sent to a new address.

All postal vote applications will now be acknowledged and presiding officers will record details of postal voters who turn up to vote in person.

A helpline is also being set up for fraud allegations.

All political parties have been advised not to handle postal votes while the council is providing independent help to the public to complete documents.

In his judgment, Mr Mawrey, who presided as election commissioner over the Birmingham case, said the six Labour councillors who were found guilty of vote-rigging, committed electoral fraud "that would disgrace a banana republic".

He also warned that unless changes were made, electoral fraud would "continue unabated".

Polls in the two wards affected, Aston and Bordesley Green, have been ordered to be re-run.