HUNDREDS of Sedgemoor residents received a shock when they tried to sign up to the electoral roll online, but were diverted to a pornographic website instead.

HUNDREDS of residents received a shock when they tried to sign up to the electoral roll online, but were diverted to a pornographic website instead.

The Register by Internet site, set up to enable people to register to vote online, has been added to a pornographic website called Wild Girls, so that anyone trying to access it is diverted to the explicit site.

Sedgemoor District Council sent the link out to every household last week telling them to go to www.registerbyinternet.com/sedgemoor to re-register online.

But, when people typed the link into internet search engine, Google, it brought up the site, which is filled with lurid sexual images.

Sedgemoor District Council claims the website was targeted by a malicious attack’ and all members of staff have been sent warning letters about the problem and instructions on how to deal with any complaints.

A council spokesman said: “Whoever set up the pornographic website has put a link on it so people accessing our website will be diverted to it.

“We’ve spoken to operators of the search engine and there is nothing they can do to prevent it.

“Google has now prioritised our website so when people search for the site ours is listed first.

“We’ve had a few calls about it but most people have been understanding as they realise there’s nothing we can do about it.”

The letter from the council asked residents to send back the paper form for the Electoral Roll if any of their details had changed, or to re-register online if their personal details were the same.

Residents are now being advised to access the site via the council’s website instead.

As the Weston & Somerset Mercury went to press Google was hoping to solve the problem.