RETIRED accountant Frank Warburton is worried about missing his chance to vote in next month's Bolton Council elections.

Mr Warburton said he had been told that Bolton Council could not guarantee the arrival of his ballot paper for the all-postal vote before he leaves for a two-week holiday in Spain on Saturday.

It would be the first election he has missed since he first voted in the 1960s.

The first of the ballot papers were sent out on Monday and the remainder were going out today, but the council says it cannot guarantee delivery of the ballot papers until Saturday's post.

Mr Warburton, of Bradshaw, who leaves for his holiday early on Saturday, will not return until June 12, two days after the count for the Bolton Council election has taken place.

He has refused a proxy vote -- which involves asking a friend to fill in his ballot paper in his absence -- because he says he is entitled to a secret vote.

He says the council should allow him to pick up a ballot paper before he goes.

"The system should be able to cope with something as simple as someone going away for a couple of weeks holiday in June," said Mr Warburton. "The council should have realised that many people will be going away and made arrangements for them to collect their ballot forms before they go away.

"I have let the elections office at the council know well in advance and have even offered to collect my ballot paper, but all they can do is tell me to take it up with my MP."

A council spokesman said: "We have explained the situation to Mr Warburton and the alternative available under the regulations is a proxy vote, a system which has been in place for many years and is used by a great many people."