A BOROUGH council has declined to take part in a government pilot scheme allowing people to cast their votes at next year's local elections via the internet.

The Government hopes to boost electoral turn-out by developing a system of e-democracy and voting via the internet.

It is concerned that electoral turnout is falling, particularly among the young and sees internet-voting as the way forward.

But Ribble Valley councillors gave the thumbs-down to a scheme that would see the borough's local elections next May go live, after hearing voter turn-out in the Ribble Valley was good.

Council leader Chris Holtom, said: "We are not in any way being complacent and are always prepared to look at innovations, but voter turn-out in the Ribble Valley has always been well above the national average and if people are not prepared to vote in person they're hardly likely to vote via the internet."

Councillors agreed there might be scope for taking part in an e-voting pilot scheme during a future byelection or General Election.