An 87-year-old woman has been turned away from today's local elections for not having ID – despite voting in every election for almost 70 years.

The pensioner attacked the “stupid” system after taking a taxi to her local polling station in Pendle, Lancashire, only to be told she couldn’t vote.

She told the Mirror she brought a photograph of herself, rather than a photo ID, after she misunderstood the instructions.

Pendle Borough Council returning officer Philip Mousdale told the Mirror he was "very sorry" to hear about the case and "the last thing we want is people being unable to vote."

It came as voters across 248 areas elected 8,425 councillors in today's town hall elections – with polls closing at 10pm.

Ten of those areas – including Pendle – are piloting a controversial anti-fraud scheme to demand ID from voters before they can cast their ballot.

The scheme is being rolled out by the Tory government at a cost of millions of pounds despite just eight allegations of in-person voter fraud last year.

The Mirror knows the woman's identity but she asked to stay anonymous. She said: “I am nearly 90. And the officers that were on, they know me, but they weren’t allowed to let me vote. How stupid is that?”

The pensioner said she had voted in every election since she came of age at 21 – even small local elections – but she would not be going back to vote before polls closed today at 10pm.

She said: “I can’t fly so I’ve no passport now. I can’t drive so I’ve no driving licence now.

“If I’d been in Craven they would have accepted my bankers’ card but because I’m in Pendle they don’t accept it.”

She said she later went to a luncheon club with her husband, where another diner said they had torn up their ballot paper in protest.

The woman – who declined to tell us how she would have voted – said: “I just think it’s not right.

“We’ve lived all our lives in England and are having to take a photograph to confirm who we are.”

Pendle was one of two councils in today's pilot where polling stations would only accept photo ID. The other was Woking.

Either a photo ID or a polling card were acceptable in Mid Sussex, Watford and North West Leicestershire.

And polling stations were able to accept either one piece of photo ID, or two pieces of non-photo ID, in Broxtowe, Craven, Derby, North Kesteven and Braintree.

The 87-year-old woman's case was reported to a local Labour Party office.

Labour candidate Wayne Blackburn, 45, said it was "by far the worst case" he had seen.

He said at 3pm: "I have heard of a couple more where people have been turned away.

"In one case someone was turned away and they categorically said they wouldn't be returning."

A Pendle Borough Council official confirmed the woman's account of what happened was accurate.

Pendle Borough Council returning officer Philip Mousdale told the Mirror: “The last thing we want is people being unable to vote so I’m very sorry to hear about this case.

“We ran a far reaching communications campaign, which included writing to all households twice, to let residents know that photo ID would be needed to vote and how to apply for a Local Electoral Card if they didn’t have any.

“And the poll cards were another reminder of the need for photo ID listing what would be accepted.”

Other anecdotal cases have been reported to the Mirror.

And one voter, Jake Pitt, wrote on Twitter : "Went to vote in Mid Sussex today which is trialing VoterID – had a polling card but was told I was not on the system, 30 mins later after presiding officer calls the database controller I'm finally able to vote. Chaotic."

Have you been turned away today for having no ID? Did you return and vote later? Get in touch with us using the form below.

Labour's Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement Cat Smith said: “It is unsurprising that reports are coming in of legitimate and honest voters being denied their right to vote because of these undemocratic and unpopular pilot schemes.

“Time and time again Labour warned that Voter ID will make it harder for people to vote but this Government ploughed ahead with this dangerous policy.

“Given that there is no evidence of widespread electoral fraud, one voter being turned away from the polling station is too many.

“After today’s shambles, it’s clear that Voter ID has no place in our democracy and should be abandoned immediately."

The Cabinet Office and Pendle Council insisted a wide range of photo ID – not just drivers' licences or passports – could be used.

Groups including Age UK, Liberty and the British Youth Council united in a joint warning over the voter ID checks as the polls opened today.

Caroline Abrahams, Charity Director of Age UK, claimed ID checks “could inadvertently impede some older people from voting” as they are less likely to have photo ID.

She added: “We understand that it is important to reduce the risks of electoral fraud but this could end up undermining the democracy they are designed to protect.”

Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), said: “These voter ID plans – if rolled out nationally –  could pull up the drawbridge for millions of voters.”

There were eight cases of alleged 'personation' (in person voter fraud at a polling station) last year, down from 28 in 2017, 45 in 2016, 26 in 2015 and 21 in 2014.

Yet an ERS study last year claimed 350 people were turned away in the five previous trial areas for not having ID.

Ministers spent £1.7m on the trial of ID checks in five areas last year, with voter ID checks expected to cost between £4.3m and £20.4m if rolled out in a full general election, depending on the system used.

Despite a challenge by campaigners, the High Court has ruled ID checks lawful.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "Electoral fraud is an unacceptable crime that strikes at a core principle of our democracy – that everyone’s vote matters.

"Showing ID to vote is a reasonable way to stop this and is something people already do every day, when they pick up a parcel at the Post Office, claim their benefits, or take out a library book.

"Both last year’s pilots and the decades of experience of Northern Ireland show that voter ID does not have an adverse effect on election turnout or participation."

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