A NUMBER of polling stations across Ryedale had turnouts of less than 10 per cent of eligible voters during the recent Police and Crime Commissioner election, it has emerged.

Figures acquired by the Gazette & Herald show that the lowest percentage turnout was at the booth at Weaverthorpe Village Hall, where just 7.7 per cent of the 401 potential voters cast a vote.

This was followed by the booth at Norton Trinity Methodist in Commercial Street in Norton. Of a potential 2,668 voters, only 223 turned up - about 8.36 per cent.

Other low turnouts could be found at Hawnby Village Hall, where 11 people voted out of a possible 120, and the Community Hall in West Lutton, which saw 25 voters of a possible 268.

The lowest number of voters at a polling station was at Bransdale in the North York Moors where, throughout the full day of voting, just four voters turned up according to the figures. Out of an electorate of 29, this was a 13.79 per cent turnout.

Julia Mulligan, the incumbent Police and Crime Commissioner who eventually won the vote, said after the election that the turnout, at 22.47 per cent across North Yorkshire, was better than for the 2012 election - but "clearly there is still work to be done".

The PCC election for the whole of North Yorkshire was co-ordinated by Ryedale District Council. The council's budget for running the election for the Ryedale area alone was £108,102, though the actual final costs will not be known until around six months after the poll.

The highest booth turnout on the day was at Acklam Village Hall, near Malton. Here, 33 people out of a possible 102 voted - around 32 per cent.

Postal votes were more popular. Of the 7,099 people registered to vote by post, 3,918 voted - over 55 per cent.