The president of Gravesend’s Gurdwara has written to thousands of election voters after concerns were raised that people were feeling pressured into voting by post.

Action was taken over claims campaigners allegedly harassed constituents with poor English skills into registering a vote in their favour.

The letter, written in both English and Punjabi and paid for by a local businessman, was distributed by president Davinder Singh Bains and the executive committee at the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara, after fears some Sikhs were being targeted.

While the temple aims no allegation at a specific group, the Messenger also received a copy of a separate letter addressed to Kent Police alleging further concerns.

Around 15,000 people in Gravesham applied to vote by post.

The Gurdwara’s letter has since been posted on the Facebook page of Conservative parliamentary candidate Adam Holloway, who is defending a majority of 9,312.

It reads: “It is for you to decide who you want in charge in Gravesham and our country: it is not for people who want elected office to decide for us.

“So please use your vote for whoever you want, to make your voice heard – but do not allow anyone to steal your vote from you.”

Gurjit Bains, a member of the temple’s executive committee and a Conservative candidate in the borough elections, said: “Really the letter was something for our community.

“A lot of the elderly in our community are in the temple a lot during the day and they’ve been telling us horrid stories.”

She claimed one woman with dementia had a campaign board put outside her house without her permission, although the party responsible said she had agreed.

Miss Bains said some people in the community could not read or write English, which meant they had little idea about registering for a postal vote.

She added: “They haven’t filled it [the postal vote form] out and then they feel pressured to give their details to the person that has come to their door.

“People have said to us ‘we’ve already voted’ and we’ve said to them ‘no you can’t have’, but they don’t know and they are not reading it [the form] properly.

“We don’t want them to be taken advantage of.”

Miss Bains would not say which party had caused the concerns.

She said: “From the temple’s point of view I don’t think we should get into who it was, but I think it was quite obvious.”

Another letter sent to police by a constituent, seen by the Messenger, claimed some residents were distraught and felt forced into handing over their postal votes.

Police have said they are making inquiries into the allegations. A spokeswoman said: “We have received information which we are assessing and we are liaising with the local authority.”

A Gravesham council spokesman said: “Two complaints have been received. To put this into context, there are over 15,000 registered electors who have requested postal votes.

“There is an Electoral Commission Code of Conduct and a Guide for Voters in relation to the activities of campaigners and the process of casting one’s vote and both were provided to all party agents at an early stage.

“In relation to the two complaints, we do not have any investigatory powers in respect of alleged electoral offences so the complainants were provided with the full contact details of the Kent Police officer assigned to deal with allegations of electoral offences.”

Labour's parliamentary candidate Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi said the Sikh community was too “educated” and “articulate” to be pressured into voting for a particular party, adding Gravesham Labour members sent letters to people explaining their voting choices.

He said: “We actually put out a letter to all the Sikhs before the Gurdwara put out one, in both English and Punjabi.”