THOUSANDS of completed ballot papers have arrived back at Bolton Town Hall - while dozens of other voters throughout the town were still waiting their postal ballot papers to be delivered.

And today the delays in the delivery of the forms prompted Bolton's Conservative group to threaten a legal challenge to the validity of any election outcome.

Cllr Alan Walsh said the group could contest the results of the local and Euro-election on June 10 at the Royal Court of Justice if all ballot papers do not arrive at all voters' homes soon.

His warning came as electors complained that their voting packs had a missing envelope or contained duplicate ballot papers.

Some even had instructions for voting in Stockport instead of Bolton.

But deputy returning officer, Des Grogan, said the borough had escaped many of the problems being faced by other councils in the North-west and claims just a "handful" of voters had experienced problems.

The first sackfuls - containing more than 8,500 ballot papers - arrived back at the town hall on Tuesday morning after postmen worked through the bank holiday weekend to cope with the extra load.

A number of election candidates were among the dozens of people who phoned the Bolton Evening News yesterday to say they had still had not received their ballot papers.

These included Tories Cllr Walsh, Cllr Alan Wilkinson, Cllr Andy Morgan and Alan Johnson, who will contest the Little Lever and Darcy Lever ward for the Green Party.

Parties can apply to the courts for a re-ballot after the election if they feel it has been comprised by administrative problems.

Cllr Walsh, who is standing in the new Hulton ward, said only one home on Reynolds Road, where he lives, had received their ballot papers.

He said: "If this continues we will mount a legal challenge because too many people have not received their ballot papers."

Ballot papers have been with the Royal Mail since last Thursday, according to council bosses, who now hope they will all be distributed by the same day this week.

It was originally hoped that all papers would be received by last Saturday. Mr Grogan said a series of checks had been in place to make sure voting packs were sent out correctly and had proved effective.

But he admitted that "a handful" of voters had received two sets of ballot papers, the wrong contact details on the instruction leaflet or have a missing envelope.

Mr Grogan said: "We have endeavoured to do everything we can to get papers out on time and without any problems and we have succeeded in around 99 per cent of cases."

The following advice has been drawn up by the elections office for anyone who has experienced a problem with their postal ballot.

Electors who have not received envelope B with their form - the larger of the two envelopes in the voting pack - is asked to either drop into one of the four help points or use their own envelope and address it to: The Returning Officer, FREEPOST, Bolton Town Hall.

Residents that have received two voting papers are being assured they will not be able to vote twice. The declaration form is barcoded which ensures only one vote per person can be accepted.

Anyone needing more assistance can contact the elections office on (01204) 331107 or visit the advice points based at the town hall and area offices in Farnworth, Westhoughton and Horwich.

They are open from 9am until 5pm from June 1 to June 5 and from June 7 until June 9.

They will remain open from 7am until 10pm on the day of the June 10 election.

Residents are reminded that for their vote to be included in the count, it must be received by the town hall by 10pm on June 10.