Early-morning voters were forced to cast their vote in a car boot after the church warden “overslept apparently”.

Toby Porter, chief executive of Acorns Children’s hospice, took to Twitter to share the humorous image.

Posting a picture of a car boot with a polling station sign attached to the door, he tweeted: “The church warden has overslept apparently so just cast my vote in a car.”

Toby Porter said he cast his vote in Oxford at 7.25am, and the normal polling station was “up and running” by 7.30am.

He said around a dozen people voted in the car before the centre at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies was opened.

“We found it funny. Everyone was enjoying the novelty,” he said.

His post has so far amassed nearly 7,000 likes and has attracted responses from voters who saw the funny side.

"This is so incredibly British," replied one social media user.

Another felt pity for the church warden saying: As the key holder of a scout hut I had many sleepless nights, imagining doing the same!”

“Same for me! I hardly sleep the night before unlocking the hall I look after! I even set an alarm to remind myself to lock it again at 10pm,” replied another.

Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, said some polling stations in cars are seen at each election.

“All polling station staff are trained on how to set up temporary polling stations for cases just like this,” she said.

“Unfortunately, we do find key holders oversleeping, so every election we see a handful of polling stations in cars until access to the building can be sorted.”

A spokesman for Oxford City Council said: “The keyholder overslept and for a short time at 7am electors were voting using the POs’ (presiding officers) cars.

“This is standard procedure when a station building isn’t open on time and part of the training we give them.

“The key is that ballot papers are ready to be issued at 7am, wherever that may be. The building was open within 15 minutes.”