Hundreds of voters in Norwich have been sent postal vote envelopes marked with the name of a council almost 200 miles away - but council bosses insist their forms will still end up at City Hall.

Norwich Evening News: Voters in Norwich have been sent postal vote packages with Worthing Borough Council marked on them. Pic: Submitted.Voters in Norwich have been sent postal vote packages with Worthing Borough Council marked on them. Pic: Submitted. (Image: Submitted)

A blunder means that about 500 people in the Norwich South constituency have been sent postal vote packs marked with the name of Worthing Borough Council, rather than Norwich City Council - which is administering the general election count.

The envelopes, in which people are asked to send back their postal vote form for next month's election, state Worthing Borough Council Postal Voting Pack on the front.

And they have the West Sussex seaside town's Town Hall as the address on the back.

But, once the postal vote form is filled in and inserted into the pre-paid envelopes, it does display the correct Norwich City Hall address for the form to be returned to.

And council bosses say that is the address which the Royal Mail uses, so people can be confident their postal votes will be delivered to the right place.

They say about 200 of the postal votes have already been returned and returned at the correct address of City Hall and that none have mistakenly turned up at their counterparts at Worthing Borough Council.

However, the council is going to write to the 320 people known to have been sent the wrong envelopes who have yet to return their postal votes.

People in Eaton are known to be among those sent incorrect envelopes.

The council hopes the letters will reassure them and make clear that they can return the envelopes, without having to cross anything out or needing to add a different address.

The council said the blunder was made by an external print company which many local councils use for the service.

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: "All residents who have returned their postal vote can be assured that it has been received at City Hall.

"Anyone who's not yet returned their postal vote, can do so using the pre-paid envelope provided as the return address is correct.

"If residents have concerns and would like to check we've received their postal vote they should get in touch via email at elections@norwich.gov.uk or by calling 0344 980 3333."