OXFORD City Council is urging residents to be aware of a mistake with an official form – after its return envelope was marked with the address of an authority nearly 200 miles away.

Local authorities send out household enquiry forms to every home in their area between July and November to check the right people are registered to vote.

But in a printing error some envelopes thought to have been sent out to residents in Cowley and Cowley Marsh contain a reply envelope for the City of York Council rather than their own.

Green Party city councillor Craig Simmons said: “Every election something seems to go wrong with the organisation and it’s the people who suffer.”

Tim Sadler, Oxford City Council’s electoral registration and returning officer, said: “Due to an error by the printing firm, some household electoral registration packs, known as household enquiry forms, that were delivered to residents earlier this week have the wrong reply envelope within them.

"Sampling so far suggests this only affects some residents in Cowley and Cowley Marsh.

“If you have received one of the inaccurate reply envelopes, please confirm the details of eligible voters at your address online at www.householdresponse.com/oxford, use the telephone reply system or wait for a replacement pack to be delivered. The replacement packs, which will be paid for by the printing firm, will be delivered as soon as they are available.”