Election worker reported for reading Kindle at polling station

Polling is under way in the Westminster by-election prompted by the resignation of former MP Barry McElduff.

Sinn Fein election agent Barry McColgan said: "One of our election workers was in a polling station early this morning reading a Kindle e-reader.

"He had sought and received permission from the electoral staff on duty to use the e-reader and was openly reading an e-book for two hours.

"For the SDLP to subsequently claim that this amounts to electoral fraud is as spurious as it is pathetic."

An SDLP statement said it had asked the Chief Electoral Officer to act immediately.

"There must be a zero tolerance approach to any breach of the rules that are in place to guarantee fair elections," it said.

Electronic equipment like mobile phones or iPads are prohibited.