Hackney Town Council has responded to angry would-be voters who were turned away from polling stations before they could cast their votes. Yesterday evening saw sit-ins at some Hackney polling stations with police reporting at least 150 disappointed peopl

Hackney Town Council has responded to angry would-be voters who were turned away from polling stations before they could cast their votes. Yesterday evening saw sit-ins at some Hackney polling stations with police reporting at least 150 disappointed people turned away.

Returning officer Tim Shields said staff in hackney had struggled to cope with an unexpectedly high voter turnout despite the deployment of extra staff. He explained: "Legally, we cannot allow voting to continue after the 10pm deadline. We share residents' frustrations but we must work within the law.