Police called to polling station over referendum pen lending

Police have been called to an EU referendum polling station in Sussex

The Chichester voter, who gives her name as Jacqueline Linda Jackson, filmed a Sussex PCSO taking down her details and avidly defended her right to allow others to borrow her stationery for the referendum ballot.

The officer is heard explaining that there are pencils available in all ballot stations and that people are allowed to bring their own pens or ask to borrow one.

A conspiracy theory that M15 are rubbing out Brexit ballots completed in pencil has been widely circulated under the hashtag #UsePens.

Ms Jackson posted the video under a heading blaming the ‘Remain side’ for calling the police to the polling station.

Earlier today, Gosport man Kieran Gell was told at a polling station that he was not allowed to use a pen to vote in the ballot. He was told that using the pen would make his vote void, despite the Electoral Commission saying that voters are welcome to use pens.