Bromley Council has said a controversial ID trial scheme went well during the elections last week despite fears people were being turned away.

Residents turning out to vote were required to show a form of photographic ID, or two forms of non-photographic ID, in order to have their say in the democratic process.

The trial was in response to alleged electoral fraud through voter impersonation, which reportedly doubled between 2014-16.

However, the scheme had been met with criticism, notably from Lewisham West and Penge MP Ellie Reeves, who said it was “draconian”.

The ID scheme did mean that some people were disfranchised – with reports of people being turned away from polling stations for not having the necessary documents.

Turnout in Bromley was 40 per cent, higher than nearby Bexley, Lewisham, and Greenwich.

It is yet not clear how many people were unable to cast their vote, but the Returning Officer said the council was happy with the scheme.

Bromley’s Returning Officer Doug Patterson said: “Voting at the polling stations went smoothly in Bromley and we were happy with the way the Voter ID pilot was conducted.

“Some people who turned up without ID returned later to vote with only a few choosing not to come back.  It was also interesting to realise how many people thought producing ID to vote was a good idea.

“Once we have the full figures we will feed these back to the Cabinet Office so that the Electoral Commission can produce an independent report on the way forward.”

The Electoral Reform society has reported that nationally, nearly 4,000 people were turned away because of the ID scheme.

Darren Hughes, Chief Executive of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “Britain prides itself on being a leading democracy – but it is a dark day for politics when thousands of blameless people turn out to vote only to be refused.

“Our estimates, based on evidence gathered by electoral observers, reveal the shocking scale of the problem.”

Residents in Bromley can leave their feedback on the trial online on the council’s website.