Polling card posted to baby girl

Kiera Spear has not shown any interest in politics, her mother says

A girl has been sent a polling card for the general election - 18 years before she is eligible to vote.

Eight-month-old Kiera Spear, of Haverhill, Suffolk, got her cards for local and national elections last week.

The district council which sent out the cards said there had been confusion over Kiera's age.

Her mother Glenda said: "She hasn't show any interest in Mr Blair or Mr Howard or Mr Kennedy. She quite likes Thomas the Tank Engine."

'Chewed up'

She added: "I'm sure I filled in the form properly. I thought it was hilarious. Kiera's chewed it up a bit, but I'm going to keep it as a souvenir."

Kiera is not the only person to be sent a card years too early. The Sibley family, from North Somerset, were surprised to receive polling cards for Freddie, five, and his two sisters aged eight and 10 on Friday.

And earlier this month, a three-year-old girl in Leicester received her voting card through the post.

Other mistakes include cards in Nottinghamshire which directed people to the wrong place to vote and others in North Lincolnshire telling people to vote in the wrong constituency.

North Lincolnshire Council stressed that polling cards are not voting papers, and said there was "no potential for fraud".