Across the country voters will be out in their droves today making their views known when they place that all important cross on their ballot paper.

More than 40,000 polling stations across the country opened at 7am and will close at 10pm tonight when counting starts.

A handful of seats are expected to be declared by midnight, with the final results expected on Friday afternoon.

Voters were out early this morning in South Norfolk and happy to make their views known.

Ashwellthorpe mum Frances Plume, who had already cast her vote before the school run said:

'I voted before dropping off my daughter Eleanor at school. She came with me so she could learn about the voting process.

I voted Conservative - Richard Bacon is the only candidate who visited me.'

Ben White was just about to go in and cast his vote at the polling station at Wreningham Village Hall - he was voting Conservative in the national interest and for business.

'The strength of the pound is critical. If Labour get in the pound will be devolved, according to the markets, and that will affect inflation.

'A weak pound makes everything expensive. That's what Conservatives should have been saying during their campaign, but did not.'

Zoe Barr from nearby Bracon Ash was undecided. She works for the NHS and fears the Tories will destroy it. She was impressed with Jeremy Corbyn's performance during the Leader's Debate but doesn't think he is the person to sort out Brexit.

Labour supporter Freya Whitelock said:' This is the first time in my voting history when I feel a leader really cares.

'The Labour campaign has been full of hope for a better society.'

Tellers at Diss Infant and Nursery School said that people had been queuing this morning when the polling station had opened. They had noticed a lot of first time voters both young and old.

A total of 650 Westminster MPs will be elected, with about 46.9 million people registered to vote.

That is up from the last general election, in 2015, when there were 46.4 million registered voters.