A WAR veteran today threatened to take York council to court - for not letting him vote.

Joseph French has had his say in every General Election since 1951, when Winston Churchill and Clement Atlee were battling it out for the keys to Downing Street.

He claims the Guildhall has put his proud 100 per cent record in grave danger by "disenfranchising" him in a registration mix-up.

City of York Council today said 73-year-old Mr French had never registered with them when he moved house.

But furious Mr French maintains he signed the correct papers at council offices when he moved to the city last November from Leeds.

The Fulford resident said: "I am one of the few people who can honestly say that I have always put myself out to be certain of being registered to vote.

"In the 53 years that I have been eligible, my vote has always been made - even three times while I was serving the country abroad."

Mr French, who is the secretary of the York branch of the Korean Veterans' Association, said: "It has been made in every election since 1951. I do not intend to let the inefficiency of the York election office disenfranchise me this time." Mr French, of Derwent Road, York, said he remembered walking into the council offices to claim his single person council tax reduction and to register on the electors' roll.

"I was made to wait at the inquiries desk while the man on duty at the desk called the office concerned and got them to send someone down to the desk with a form for me to fill in. I completed the form, signed it and the clerk took it away. As far as I was concerned I would be registered to vote at the next election.

"I didn't take any copies of documents. I didn't think I needed to."

But the retired civil servant was shocked last Thursday to find a polling card drop through his letter box - made out in the name of the previous occupant.

The pensioner, who is taking legal advice, called the council but was told the voting registration deadline had passed, there was no form in his name and he could not vote in this poll.

A council spokeswoman said: "Our records show that Mr French has never been registered at that address.

"We will be communicating with him in writing, but the legal deadline for people to register was March 11 so there is no way that he can be added at this stage."

Updated: 10:38 Friday, April 22, 2005