POLLING cards will be delivered this week – with the correct details on them – Dudley's returning officer has insisted after admitting letters with old voter data were mailed out to 135,000 homes.

Kevin O’Keefe, chief executive and electoral returning officer at Dudley Council, was under fire last week after it emerged outdated data about voters registered at properties across the borough was mailed out accidentally.

Residents got in touch to report having received old, inaccurate information on letters reminding them to register to vote ahead of the May 6 elections - with some telling how the names of long deceased occupants of their property had mysteriously turned up again on official reminders to check particulars were up-to-date.

One resident told the News he was worried that despite having voted many times from his current address it now appeared he had been taken off the electoral register.

Dudley Council's returning officer, however, quickly apologised for the data blunder and moved to reassure potential voters that information held on the current electoral register would be up-to-date and that it was simply a case of incorrect, old data from a previous year having been accidentally used in this year's reminder to register to vote letters.

He has since confirmed letters were sent out to 135,000 properties across the Dudley borough and that "some contained incorrect information because they were based on old data". He said polling cards would be delivered this week "which will have the correct information on them".

But he urged people to check their details and "let us know if anything is incorrect".

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday May 6 to decide who will represent them on Dudley Council and to select the West Midlands Mayor and West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner.

Details on how to update any changes at a particular address can be found online at dudley.gov.uk and search 'elections'.

Anyone who received a letter with incorrect voter details can call 01384 814740 or email elections.cexec@dudley.gov.uk to make sure their current information is on the council's system.