HEREFORDSHIRE Council is to re-run another parish council election because of problems with ballot papers.

The parish election for Newton, near Leominster, gets another go on June 25.

On the same day, Herefordshire Council will re-run the Hereford City Council ward election for Saxon Gate - the result of which was also  which was also countermanded because of voting irregularities – along with a contested parish election in King’s Caple.

There will be no contest over parish seats in Brockhampton with Much Fawley,  Credenhill,  and  Upton Bishop.

Today, Herefordshire Council acknowledged an error at the polling station serving Newton parish for parliamentary, county ward and parish elections.

In a statement, Herefordshire Council said: “The polling station staff unfortunately made an error as to the register they were using for the Newton parish election and issued ballot papers to electors from a neighbouring parish.

“Whilst the error was identified during the day of polling and corrected, the number of papers already issued incorrectly was of sufficient significance to render the outcome of the ballot insecure and therefore the deputy returning officer countermanded the poll”.

In Saxon Gate,  the parish ward election showed a disproportionately high number of spoiled ballot papers, particularly where voters had selected more than one candidate.

As a consequence, the deputy returning officer countermanded the result.

Herefordshire Council has to consider re-running elections in parishes where there were no candidates nominated to either contest seats or enough of them to take those available at last month’s election.

The parishes with no candidates nominated were: Bridge Sollars, Brockhampton, Burrington, Callow, Canon Frome, Dormington, Downton, Elton, Llandinabo, Upton Bishop and Welsh Bicknor.

Herefordshire Council also has the power to co-opt councillors to parish seats where none are taken.

Parishes can co-opt councillors for themselves,  either as individual entities or as part of a group, provided the meeting to do so is quorate – that is having a minimum number of members present to make a binding decision.

Overall, out of 1,229 town and parish council seats up for election last month, 243 had no nominated candidates.

The county has 235 parishes brought down by grouping to 133 of which 35  held contested elections.