EAST Lancashire residents have been urged to brave winter weather to vote on election day next week despite a prediction of snow and frost.

A cold snap is due to hit Britain and the Pennines just in time for December 12, forecasters have warned.

Meteorologists at the Met Office have predicted that a wintry spell will arrive for election week, covering the UK in frost and seeing temperatures plunge to sub-zero in some areas.

But pollsters say voters are unlikely to be deterred from going to the polls next week, with poor weather only having ‘a small effect on turnout’.

Candidates from all three major parties in East Lancashire have urged voters to wrap up warm and head for the polling station whatever he temperature.

The long-term forecast suggests snowfall in the Pennines and Scotland, with the rest of the UK to be hit by blustery winds and freezing fog.

The election will go ahead even in a blanket of snow because it is written in law and cannot be postponed.

Talk of possible snow combined with a drop in temperatures and winter’s reduced daylight hours has raised concerns that this year’s General Election could see lower turnout than the 68.7 per cent in 2017.

Ben Page, chief executive of pollsters Ipsos MORI, said: “In terms of winter elections, we only really have February 1974 to go on. Then the weather was bad but the turnout (79 per cent) was high, and up on 1970.

“Other factors – such as the perceived importance and closeness of the election – are likely to play at least as big a part as the weather, and of course far more people tend to vote by post where the weather is irrelevant.”

Chris Curtis, political research manager at YouGov, added: “It might be getting extremely cold over the next week or so but it’s unlikely that the weather is going to deter anyone going to the polls who wasn’t already staying at home."

Burnley Liberal Democrat candidate Gordon Birtwistle said: “Snow would definitely affect turnout with people worrying about slipping and falling. I would urge people to voe in what is widely seen as the most important election in a generation.

“Whichever party you support you should go out and vote to ensure your view is represented at the ballot box.”

Hyndburn Labour candidate Graham Jones said: “Boris Johnson has inflicted this Christmas election on everyone but people should still go out and vote as they aways should to take children out of poverty. At the last winter election turnout actually went up.”

Ribble Valley Conservative candidate Nigel Evans said: “It is vital people vote in this crucial election both to deliver Brexit and to stop Jeremy Corbyn getting his hands on the keys to Number 10 Downing Street."