"This is shambolic": Frustrations as Kingston Council count moves past eight hour mark

Adding up the votes in London's smallest borough has taken longer than the 2010 General Election count where turnout was much higher, even before European Parliamentary election votes were counted.

As of 6am, with dawn breaking, no results for any of the 16 wards had been called.

Around other London boroughs the results have been slow too - Sutton Council had no votes as of 6am. Croydon declared one ward shortly after 6am.

Split votes - where voters mix-and-match their politicians from among the political parties - have been blamed.

But the organisation of the count, with claims some counters were being taught how to count split votes on the night, were also being questioned.

A council spokesman said: "It's to do with the European ballot paper and particularly the length of it. And particularly, the split votes.

"A lot of these counts are close. Borough's where the margins are much clearer the count will be quicker."

Conservative councillor Andrea Craig tweeted her frustrations.

This is the pile of split votes still to be counted. #shambolic we will be here until 10am at this rate!!! pic.twitter.com/evzkhRzL0U

— Andrea Craig (@MrsNoBags) May 23, 2014

Fellow Tory Gaj Wallooppillai tweeted:

— Gaj Wallooppillai (@GajWall) May 23, 2014

While Labour's parliamentary candidate for Kingston and Surbiton Lee Godfrey tweeted: 

As we enter the eighth hour of the Kingston Council count - still not one ward has been announced. Guinness Book of Records? #kingstonvotes

Still not one ward declared in Kingston. Counting staff have done a brilliant job but are looking tired #Vote2014

— Lee Godfrey (@Godfrey_Lee) May 23, 2014