Church Fenton parish council by-election where 20 ineligible people were allowed to cast votes could be recounted in front of York District Judge

By Rob Parsons
Published 27th Jun 2021, 05:45 BST
A botched election in North Yorkshire where 20 locals were mistakenly allowed to cast their vote in the wrong poll could be recounted in front of a County Court judge amid calls for it to be held again.

Selby District Council returning officer Janet Waggott has offered to apply for a re-count in front of a District Judge in York following the confusion at the village hall in Church Fenton, between Selby and Tadcaster, during local elections 'Super Thursday' last month.

Two residents of neighbouring parish Little Fenton and 18 residents of Biggin who should have been voting for the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner were wrongly allowed to vote for candidates in the Church Fenton Parish Council by-election.

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Selby District Council returning officer Janet Waggott has offered to apply for a re-count in front of a District Judge in York following the confusion at the village hall in Church Fenton, between Selby and Tadcaster, during local elections 'Super Thursday' last month.Selby District Council returning officer Janet Waggott has offered to apply for a re-count in front of a District Judge in York following the confusion at the village hall in Church Fenton, between Selby and Tadcaster, during local elections 'Super Thursday' last month.
Selby District Council returning officer Janet Waggott has offered to apply for a re-count in front of a District Judge in York following the confusion at the village hall in Church Fenton, between Selby and Tadcaster, during local elections 'Super Thursday' last month.

Selby council, which administered both elections, has accepted that ballot papers were wrongly issued and that the mistake could have affected the result of the parish council by-election as the margin was just 15 votes.

But a letter to angry residents seen by The Yorkshire Post written by London-based law firm Sharpe Pritchard, on behalf of the council, said the criteria had not been met for the full re-election they were demanding.