Local elections in Reading will no longer take place this year because of coronavirus.

The government has postponed all elections due to take place in England this May by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic Covid-19.

Local, mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections will all be postponed until May 2021, the government confirmed on Friday.

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Elections were due to be held on May 7, when the town’s voters would have elected a third of councillors at Reading Borough Council (RBC).

The decision to postpone was taken following advice from the government’s medical experts in relation to the response to the Covid-19 virus and the advice of those delivering elections.

Elections take place in Reading in three out of every four years and next year was due to be the fallow year with no RBC elections planned.

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This year will now effectively be the fallow year.

Wokingham Borough Council elections were also due to take place this year but have now been postponed.

West Berkshire Council elections take place every four years, with all councillors elected, and are next due to take place in 2023.

PCC Anthony Stansfield was due to step down from his role this year but is now set to stay on for another year.

Legislation will now be brought forward to postpone the elections for 12 months.