RESIDENTS were fuming when their postal votes did not arrive in time for them to have their say in the local council elections or referendum.

A number of voters contacted the Guardian on election day but the only advice from Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) was for people to travel to council HQ in Chester before 5pm if they wanted to vote.

Duncan Penn, from Kingsmead, said: “Today is polling day, but for some off us voting by post we haven't received our postal vote forms because of a printing error.

“We have been told if we want to vote we will have to drive to Chester to collect a new postal vote pack.

“I wonder how many others have not received their postal vote packs?”

A Northwich woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “Mine never arrived and I’m not the only one – there were six people in one street in Eddisbury and one woman who had hers but her husband didn’t have his, the council sent another but it was for her and not her husband.

“I’m absolutely disgusted.

“My mother is 92, has Alzheimer’s and can’t leave the house and I work full time and can’t leave work to go and get a postal vote.

“The packs for the local votes arrived two weeks ago and the one for the referendum should have arrived a couple of weeks before that, but nothing.

“It’s supposed to be a national referendum and if there was only one or two votes in it it would have made a mockery of the whole thing.”

A CWAC spokesman confirmed that some people had not received their postal packages and, on the day, recommended that residents should attempt to get to HQ in Chester before 5pm.