London : Elections are being held for 248 English councils, six mayors and all 11 councils in Northern Ireland.

Polling stations for the vote – spanning metropolitan and district councils and unitary authorities – opened at 07:00 BST and will close at 22:00 BST.

According to BBC this is the biggest set of local elections in England’s four-year electoral cycle, with more than 8,400 seats being contested.

A further 462 seats are up for grabs in Northern Ireland.

Voters in 10 local authorities in England need to either show ID or produce their polling card before they can vote as part of a trial scheme