A Limehouse resident who cast her vote on Thursday told the East London Advertiser she was not happy with voting irregularities she claims she witnessed at her polling station.

Janet Digby-Baker, OBE, of Threecolt Street, Limehouse, visited Cyril Jackson Primary School to mark her ballot.

She said she was there for less than five minutes and in that time saw three different couples enter the individual polling booths together.

“At first I noticed two women in the booth near me and then I saw this happen two more times whilst I was there.”

Janet said she noticed there was no police officer at the polling station and when the second pair of women entered a booth together, she alerted the election officer in the room.

“Even then he only seemed to half-heartedly tell them to go into the booths alone. He was looking at me whilst telling them and I felt he was signalling to them ‘that lady won’t let you’.

“I got the impression it was only because I was watching that he was telling them they shouldn’t do that.

“It made me feel cross and worried to think if it happened three times whilst I was there then was it happening all day?

“It’s meant to be a secret ballot.”

Janet, who received her OBE for services to children and families, rang the council after returning home from the polling station yesterday.

She claims she was told by a council representative that all election and presiding officers were trained in what they can and can’t allow before election day.

However, the council worker admitted there should have been a police officer at the station and said she would make sure somebody got there quickly.

We approached the council to give their own statement but they are yet to get back to the East London Advertiser.