The new system means no visiting a polling station

Nearly 6,000 people in Swindon have taken the opportunity to vote using a TV remote control or the internet.

The Wiltshire town is taking part in a trial of e-voting which means bypassing a visit to a polling station.

Alan Winchcombe the deputy returning officer put the town forward for the experiment after just 31% of voters chose to use their vote last year.

Votes can be cast online, on the phone, at a town centre kiosk or on digital television using a remote.

Mr Winchcombe said: "We led the way last year by doing the biggest internet telephone voting system.

"This year we've extended that to give people kiosks and cable ID TV and no-one else in the country is doing that so we've extended it to push out the boundaries of voting and make it easier for peope to vote."