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Massive queues have formed outside polling stations in London on election day, with one man claiming his was "20 times busier" than in 2017.

One woman said she was queueing for 35 minutes outside her polling station, which was the busiest she had seen it in 20 years of voting there.

Polls close at 10pm, and many people would have been hoping to tick their preferred box before heading to work.

Schools, churches and other buildings were freed up today in the calendar for the December 12 election - the first since 1923 to be held in this month.

“I’ve voted at the same station and time for eight years, but have never had to queue before,” said Craig Fordham, 45, from Putney, who had to wait for 15 minutes.

Chris Schofield queued for 20 minutes in the Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency.

“It’s about 20 times busier than it was in 2017, and for the locals and Euro elections,” the 27-year-old consultant said.

“Atmosphere is very London: orderly queueing and no-one is talking to each other!”

Mr Schofield said there were over 70 voters waiting outside, adding that there were at least three officers working at the station but only one taking addresses from voters.

Asked why he thought there were so many queueing, he said: “I think it’s the election of a lifetime for many of us.”

Alixe Bovey said she was queueing for 35 minutes in her Streatham constituency.

Sharing a photo of the queue outside her local station, she tweeted: “In 20 years of voting in Streatham Hill, always at about this time of day, I have never encountered a queue of more than six or seven people.

“What is going on. The tailback is right up the road now.”

Meanwhile a burst water main in south London was not enough to stop people voting as they waded through to take their part in the election.

Hannah Tookey, who waded through the water in Bermondsey to cast her vote, tweeted: “It was too deep to wade through the middle, even in wellies.”

General Election 2019: Polling Day - In pictures 22 show all General Election 2019: Polling Day - In pictures 1/22 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez arrive to cast their votes PA 2/22 Boris Johnson votes in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn 3/22 Chelsea Pensioners arrive to cast their votes PA 4/22 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson and her partner Duncan Hames arrive to cast their votes PA 5/22 A man dressed as Father Christmas walks from his grotto at the Dunster Tithe Barn near Minehead, Somerset, which is being used as a polling station PA 6/22 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon casts her vote in the 2019 General Election at Broomhouse Park Community Hall in Glasgow PA 7/22 Nuns leave after voting at St John's parish hall polling station in London AFP via Getty Images 8/22 A polling station at the White Horse Inn in Priors Dean, Hampshire, also known by locals as the 'Pub with no name' PA 9/22 Burst water main at polling station in Bermondsey Hannah Tookey 10/22 Polling Day queue at Larcom Street (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) @Chris_Kilgariff 11/22 Students from the University of Reading arrive to vote in the General Election 2019 on graduation day PA 12/22 A dog is tied up to railings outside St John's parish hall polling station in London AFP via Getty Images 13/22 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez are surrounded by supporters and the media as they arrive to cast their votes PA 14/22 A man clears snow outside the Polling Station at the village hall in Dalwhinnie in the Cairngorms in the Highlands of Scotland PA 15/22 A view inside a polling station at the White Horse Inn in Priors Dean, Hampshire, also known by locals as the 'Pub with no name' PA 16/22 A Christmas tree stands in the window of Petersfield Used Car Centre in Hampshire, which is being used as a polling station in the General Election PA 17/22 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon arrives to cast her vote in the 2019 General Election at Broomhouse Park Community Hall in Glasgow. PA 18/22 DUP leader Arlene Foster arrives at a polling station in Enniskillen, in Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Images 19/22 Sinn Fein candidate for North Belfast John Finucane speaks to teh media as he leaves the polling station at St Peter's Church in North Belfast after casting his vote PA 20/22 Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg arrives with his son at a polling station to vote in the general election, in the village of West Harptree Reuters 21/22 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (centre) and his wife Laura Alvarez (right) arrive to cast their votes in the 2019 General Election at the polling station at Pakeman Primary School in Islington PA 22/22 A converted shipping container which is being used as a polling station in Dudley, West Midlands PA 1/22 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez arrive to cast their votes PA 2/22 Boris Johnson votes in Westminster Jeremy Selwyn 3/22 Chelsea Pensioners arrive to cast their votes PA 4/22 Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson and her partner Duncan Hames arrive to cast their votes PA 5/22 A man dressed as Father Christmas walks from his grotto at the Dunster Tithe Barn near Minehead, Somerset, which is being used as a polling station PA 6/22 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon casts her vote in the 2019 General Election at Broomhouse Park Community Hall in Glasgow PA 7/22 Nuns leave after voting at St John's parish hall polling station in London AFP via Getty Images 8/22 A polling station at the White Horse Inn in Priors Dean, Hampshire, also known by locals as the 'Pub with no name' PA 9/22 Burst water main at polling station in Bermondsey Hannah Tookey 10/22 Polling Day queue at Larcom Street (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) @Chris_Kilgariff 11/22 Students from the University of Reading arrive to vote in the General Election 2019 on graduation day PA 12/22 A dog is tied up to railings outside St John's parish hall polling station in London AFP via Getty Images 13/22 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez are surrounded by supporters and the media as they arrive to cast their votes PA 14/22 A man clears snow outside the Polling Station at the village hall in Dalwhinnie in the Cairngorms in the Highlands of Scotland PA 15/22 A view inside a polling station at the White Horse Inn in Priors Dean, Hampshire, also known by locals as the 'Pub with no name' PA 16/22 A Christmas tree stands in the window of Petersfield Used Car Centre in Hampshire, which is being used as a polling station in the General Election PA 17/22 SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon arrives to cast her vote in the 2019 General Election at Broomhouse Park Community Hall in Glasgow. PA 18/22 DUP leader Arlene Foster arrives at a polling station in Enniskillen, in Northern Ireland AFP via Getty Images 19/22 Sinn Fein candidate for North Belfast John Finucane speaks to teh media as he leaves the polling station at St Peter's Church in North Belfast after casting his vote PA 20/22 Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg arrives with his son at a polling station to vote in the general election, in the village of West Harptree Reuters 21/22 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (centre) and his wife Laura Alvarez (right) arrive to cast their votes in the 2019 General Election at the polling station at Pakeman Primary School in Islington PA 22/22 A converted shipping container which is being used as a polling station in Dudley, West Midlands PA

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