'Make voters show photo ID to prevent election fraud'

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The Electoral Commission called for the move among a string of reforms to drag 19th century voting systems into the 21st century.

The commission demanded measures to restore public confidence in the way elections are run, including individual voter registration instead of the current head-of-household system.

Carrying a photo-ID is one of several ways of proving that an individual's identity is confirmed when they go to vote.

The system already operates in Northern Ireland because of fears of impersonation and the watchdog today said it could be used in conjunction with other forms of identity such as birth certificates.

In a report entitled Electoral Administration In The UK, the commission made a series of recommendations including ensuring that electoral law is finalised six months before any election.

The report called for the role of returning officers to be strengthened to ensure it is clearly distinct from the formation of election policy by government.

Shadow justice minister Eleanor Laing said: "Individual electoral registration and accurate electoral registers are essential for a free and fair democratic process.

"Gimmicks like weekend voting are pointless if the very foundations of our democracy are being called into question."