Election fever has hit Bradford hard as thousands of people have flooded City Hall wanting postal votes.

So far 8,500 people have asked for forms enabling them to vote by post after the Government lifted heavy restrictions which meant cast-iron reasons for absence were necessary.

Now electors have been given permission for anyone who wants to avoid going out to a polling station to vote by post, for that election alone or indefinitely.

The deadline for obtaining postal votes is on May 30 at 5pm and the Council's election unit expects thousands more applications by then because of the new method introduced by the Government to get more people taking part in the polls.

But the extra votes by electors could make all the difference in the district's marginal wards, which are already in the national limelight because sitting MPs may be toppled by other parties.

The Labour party has made Shipley and Keighley target seats and told members that every vote counts in the constituencies where the result is expected to be tight.

There was a huge Labour victory in Shipley in the last General Election when Chris Leslie ousted Sir Marcus Fox, the Tory chairman of the influential 1992 Committee, by about 3,000 votes.

In Keighley, Ann Cryer beat former Tory MP Gary Waller by more than 7,000 votes and became only the second woman to win the seat.

All five Labour MPs face battles from the Tories, Liberal Democrats, Greens and other smaller parties.

The Council's elections unit is employing 1,000 casual staff to deal with the mountain of work, including the vital job of counting the votes on polling night.

Turnout is traditionally high in General Elections in Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan authority - unlike the local elections where sometimes only 16 per cent of people bother to vote.

The issues of education, health, law and order, housing and transport are high on the agenda for the 345,000 people who have the right to vote.

Prime Minister Tony Blair's decision to hold the election on June 7, instead of in May as anticipated, has created extra work for staff in the electoral unit who have had to rearrange venues booked for the 232 polling stations.

For the third year running, one is at the Lamb Inn, Oxenhope, which has been hugely popular with the public.

Extra security measures were brought in at the district's polling stations for the first time last year after reports of threats and intimidation.

They are being continued this year and staff will have mobile phones in case they need extra back-up.

The district's returning officer, Council chief executive Ian Stewart, said: "I hope the elections this year will be conducted in a way which will be a credit to Bradford.

"I hope everybody will abide by the rules."

The highest voting percentage in the last General Election was at Keighley, with more than 77.6 per cent of the electorate turning out.

In Shipley the average was 76.3 per cent, followed by Bradford South with 65 per cent, Bradford West with 63.4 per cent and Bradford North with 63.3 per cent.

Leeds North West, which includes Otley, is also a key Labour marginal seat, which has been made a national target by William Hague's election team.