A WORCESTER student claims he and his fellow academics could have changed the outcome of the election, because of a loophole in the way electoral registers are drawn up.

Alastair Little received two voting cards - one at his home in Bedwardine and one for Ladywood in Birmingham, where he is studying politics at Aston University.

The 19-year-old claims that if the country's higher-education students double-voted - almost two million of them - the outcome of the election could have been changed.

"In the last election, Labour's majority was 179 but only 100,000 more votes were cast for Labour, because of marginal seats," said Mr Little. "So, theoretically, if students double-vote it could change the Government, depending on where they are cast."

Mr Little, who realises double voting is illegal, says there is no cross-referencing of local electoral rolls.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission said voting relied on a trust system.

"It doesn't matter if you're registered with a voting card - you don't need a card - it's done on trust," he said.

"Obviously, there'll be a list of voters for that constituency and your name is crossed off the list, but somebody could theoretically turn up and say they were you.

"But there has been very little election fraud in the past."