Labour candidates who came within a whisker of being elected have called for answers after a polling station’s usual entrance was closed.

Nick Harrison and Kathy Smith are questioning why the “traditional entrance” to the polling station at Mottingham Primary School was closed on election day.

The pair said voters were turning away because the usual entrance was closed, not wanting to navigate around to the alternative doors via Dunkery Road.

Mr Harrison said: “Residents were arriving to vote and, on seeing the entrance was closed, turned back home or carried on to work.

“We did transport a few people, but we were short of people on the ground so we lost lots of votes.”

The seats in Mottingham and Chislehurst North were won by Conservatives David Cartwright and Will Rowlands.

Cllr Rowlands, who came second, won 992 votes, just 20 ahead of Nicky Harrison and 23 ahead of Kathy Smith.

Turnout in Chislehurst and Mottingham was 33 per cent this year,  the third lowest in the borough and 3.26 per cent down on the 2014 elections when the Tories also won.

Mr Harrison said moving the entrance to the other side of the school may have cost votes.

“It’s a horrific situation”, he added, “We want some answers really.”

Bromley Council said changes had been advertised well in advance of the election and communicated to voters on the day.

A spokeswoman for Bromley Council said: “Sometimes it is necessary to make changes to the arrangements at polling stations. In this case, a change was agreed last year to the location of the polling station at Mottingham Primary School at the request of the head teacher in order to keep the school open on polling day.

“This was communicated to voters, in red, on their polling cards with signs erected at the school prior to the election and on the day to direct people to the new entrance. Our polling station look up was also updated.”