THOUSANDS of voters in South Cambridgeshire were given new nationalities after a computer glitch turned them into South Americans on their electoral forms. The mistake was said to have been caused by a default setting on a new council computer which enter

THOUSANDS of voters in South Cambridgeshire were given new nationalities after a computer glitch turned them into South Americans on their electoral forms.

The mistake was said to have been caused by a default setting on a new council computer which entered Guyanese as a nationality if one had not already been given.

South Cambridgeshire District Council said about 3,000 addresses had received the incorrect electoral forms.

About 200 of those are believed to have been issued to homes in Cambourne and Papworth.

An SCDC spokesman said: "We have recently changed the computer system in our elections department. Unfortunately the new system did not allow us to move people whose nationality was on the electoral roll with the status of unknown across to the new system with the same status of unknown."

She added: "Residents should be aware that this information is being prepared for the register published in December this year and it will not affect anyone's current entry on the electoral register.

"However, this is an ideal opportunity for residents to tell us their nationality.