Voters in Bromley will need to show ID before they can vote in local government elections in May 2018 as part of an effort to combat fraud.

Woking, Gosport, Watford and Slough will also take part in voter ID pilots.

The move comes after reports of alleged electoral fraud through voter impersonation more than doubled between 2014 and 2016, according to figures from the Electoral Commission.

The five local authorities volunteered to test out the new system. If the pilots go well they could be rolled out across the country.

Minister for the Constitution, Chris Skidmore said: "For people to have confidence in our democratic processes we need to ensure that our elections are safeguarded against any threat or perception of electoral fraud.

"The current situation of people simply pointing out their name without having to prove who they are feels out of date when considering other safeguards to protect people’s identity. It is harder to take out a library book or collect a parcel at a post office than it is to vote in someone’s name.

"I am very hopeful that by taking a careful evidence-based approach in these pilots we will be able to roll out ID in polling stations at future elections."