Party leaders have been casting their votes in the United Kingdom general election. Polls opened at 07:00 BST at around 50,000 polling stations across the UK, which will remain open until 22:00. BBC was there:
A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 50 million people registered to vote. As well as the general election, there are more than 9,000 council seats being contested across 279 English local authorities. Mayors will also be elected in Bedford, Copeland, Leicester, Mansfield, Middlesbrough and Torbay.
UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Labour leader Ed Miliband, Greens leader Natalie Bennett, SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon, Conservative leader David Cameron, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood have all cast their votes. The weather has been dry and mild across much of the UK, with isolated showers in some parts of the north of England.
The local votes taking place mean that nearly every voter in England – excluding London where there are no local elections – will be given at least two ballot papers when they enter polling stations.