ABOUT 5,000 Bolton voters may not have received their postal voting forms, it was revealed on Monday.

The error came to light after councillors checked town hall records for the number of streets which have not returned a single ballot paper.

Party leaders at a meeting were expected to demand that council staff deliver reissued voting packs by hand and make door-to-door enquiries to establish the exact number of missing ballot papers.

They could also be calling for an investigation into the reasons for the problems in delivering papers for the June 10 local and euro-election.

The demands come as local Tory chiefs warned they are to seek legal advice with a view to a possible challenge to the result of the election.

Returning officers are refusing to comment on the number of people who have not received their ballot papers.

But Cllr Barbara Ronson, leader of the Liberal Democrats, today accused them of being "complacent" and said "misleading" statements to the press had under-played the seriousness of the situation.

She added: "I have received huge numbers of calls over the weekend from anxious people who have still not received ballot papers. The situation is unacceptable."

The council is urging anyone who has not received a ballot paper to call (01204) 331100 or 331107 as soon as possible to order a reissued ballot paper.

Deputy returning officer Des Grogan last Friday said that the council had received 600 requests for reissues, adding he did not believe there were many more who had not received voting packs

The Royal Mail has confirmed it has delivered all the ballot papers it has received.

But last night Labour leader of the council, Cllr Bob Howarth, said he believed the figure is much higher.

He said: "I have evidence from two or three wards which suggests the number of people without ballot papers could be at least several thousand."

Conservative spokesman Cllr Andy Morgan said members of his party would pursue a legal challenge unless a solution was found.

He added: "We want to know whether every voting pack was checked before they were passed on to the Royal Mail."