RESULTS of an election recount in the disputed High Street ward is expected to be announced early next month.

The Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats applied to the High Court to have the ballot boxes re-opened after a member of the public spotted a potential error.

It is possible that the Labour candidates were mistakenly given 1,000 extra block votes.

Last Friday the votes in the election were recounted in private before a judge.

The judge is now expected to draft a report for a specially constituted election court, which will then declare the result.

The votes for elected Labour councillors were announced on May 7 as follows: Liaquat Ali (3,322), Clare Coghill (3,185) and Steve Terry (2,932). But their actual votes could have been 1,000 less each, meaning votes cast for Liberal Democrat Mahmood Hussain (2,043) would have exceeded Steve Terry's by 111 votes.

In May the Liberal Democrats sent an election petition to the High Court.

Waltham Forest Council said the result of the recount is not expected to be announced before the end of August.

The result of the May election still stands until the election court declares its decision.

The council said that all those present at the hearing last week were required by the court to sign a secrecy declaration not to disclose anything about the hearing until the result is officially announced or they will be in contempt of court.

Former returning officer Andrew Kilburn in a statement appeared to suggest a mistake had been made, blaming human error due to tiredness.

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