The Times reports that it has uncovered widespread allegations of fraud, vote-stealing and intimidation in the regions where postal ballots are being held.

The accusations raise the possibility of a spate of legal challenges in the event of close results.

The Times investigation says all three main parties are breaching Electoral Commission guidelines.

Most papers also report that up to 5,000 ballot papers have gone missing.

However, on a more positive note for the government, the Guardian suggests that turnout in the four English regions where all-postal voting is being trialled could be up by a third to 40 per cent.