Swindon Borough Council will not be seeking compensation from the firm that mistakenly sent out thousands of letters telling people they couldn't vote in the general election.

Electoral Reform Services has apologised for the error, which saw 3,000 voters in Swindon receiving the letters telling them that they were not entitled to be on the electoral register at their address.

The next day the council had to send out another letter retracting that and apologising.

ERS has declined to comment, but the Adver understands it has written to the council’s chief executive Susie Kemp, whose signature was on the letter, to apologise.

The Facebook page run by Coun Dale Heenan and his fellow Covingham and Dorcan ward councillors Kevin and Barbara Parry carries a post about the matter.

It says: “We are at the start of a general election and there is a limit to what can be done immediately, or in the next few weeks, other than assurances from the company that it will never happen again, but I will urge colleagues and officers to not let this matter rest.”

The cost of the first batch of letters would have been at least £1,400, and the 3,000 retraction letters would have cost 64p each – £1,920 in total, bring the total postage to at least £3,300.

This is the second embarrassing election blunder to befall the council in just over six months.

A counting error at the elections for Highworth Parish Council in May saw one councillor announced as being elected but then having to step down when a recount revealed they had not won.

The error in counting votes for multiple seats saw candidates awarded more votes each than were actually cast in the election.

There is still time to register to vote in the December 12 general election by the deadline is midnight on Tuesday, November 26.

The easiest way is to go to gov.uk/register-to-vote and have your national insurance number to hand.