A protestor dressed as Elmo gatecrashed Jeremy Corbyn's polling station visit this morning before scuffling with security guards.

Bizarre footage from the north London polling station shows the woman dressed as Elmo being restrained by the guards as she tried to approach the Labour leader, who was making his way to vote.

The woman is seen arguing with security and police, appearing to be outraged at being held back from Mr Corbyn, who said: 'Hello guys, can we stop the arguments please.'

She held up a sign with the name Bobby Smith, in reference to a Fathers 4 Justice activist who caused a security breach at Buckingham Palace in 2016 after using a ladder to scale the building and climb onto the roof.

The woman in fancy dress is seen arguing with security and police, appearing to be outraged at being held back from Mr Corbyn, who said: 'Hello guys, can we stop the arguments please'

She held up a sign with the name Bobby Smith in reference to a former Fathers 4 Justice activist who caused a security breach at Buckingham Palace in 2015 after using a ladder to scale the building and climb onto the roof

The Labour leader, 70, promised higher public spending, nationalisation of public services, taxes on higher earners and another referendum on Brexit should he gain election

A person dressed as Sesame Street character Elmo is seen next to police officers after arguing with a member of Britain's opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn's security detail as Corbyn returns from a polling station after voting in the general election

Mr Smith, who is standing as an independent in Boris Johnson's seat, was with her.

The woman was spoken to by police before she was allowed to leave.

The Labour leader, 70, who cast his vote early, has promised higher public spending, nationalisation of public services, taxes on higher earners and another referendum on Brexit should he gain election.

Across the country, voters took part in Britain's most important election for a generation with their decision expected to make-or-break Brexit.

Thousands snaked around the block outside schools, village halls, churches, pubs and other community buildings in the wet and cold to exercise their democratic right at the UK's 50,000 polling stations from 7am.

The largest queues were seen in London's marginal seats where many were late for work and described the busiest election day they had seen for decades.

A protester dressed as Elmo is restrained by security guards from approaching Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez as they arrive to cast their votes

A man in a santa hat and a man in an Elmo costume outside the polling station at Pakeman Primary School in Islington, north London

Police speak to a protester dressed as Elmo who attempted to approach Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his wife Laura Alvarez

Hundreds waited for up to 45 minutes to vote in Battersea, Bow, Brixton, Clapham, Wandsworth and Woolwich in the capital as well as in Greater Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham as Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn battle to become the next Prime Minister.

Experts have said the crowds suggest that the turnout for the first December general election since 1923 could be the highest since Clement Atlee and Sir Winston Churchill fought to be PM in the 1950s and 1960s.

Turnouts have been dropping in the UK since Tony Blair's landslide victory in 1997.

After six weeks on the campaign trail, Boris Johnson gave his dog Dilyn a big kiss and voted early at the nearest polling station to No 10 Downing Street - but was without his partner Carrie Symonds on the biggest day of his political life after she backed the Tories in Richmond.

Voters have described the longest queues they have ever seen at polling stations, including here in Putney, south-west London, as Britain holds a generation-defining election with the future of Brexit at its heart

The Tory leader was voting at the Methodist Central Hall next to Westminster Abbey rather than in his Uxbridge constituency - a highly unusual move because outgoing prime ministers traditionally vote where they are standing as candidates.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, accompanied by his wife Laura, also voted early in his Islington North constituency with the election said to be on a knife-edge, according to recent polls.

As the polls opened this morning Mr Johnson tweeted: 'Today is our chance to get Brexit done. Vote Conservative' while Mr Corbyn wrote on social media: 'Vote Labour today to save our NHS, to bring about real change and create a country that works for the many, not the few'.