Labour was accused of shedding "crocodile tears" after it urged the Government to abandon voter ID trials amid concerns of potential discrimination.

Cat Smith highlighted warnings from the Equality and Human Rights Commission in which the watchdog suggested requiring people to prove their identity at polling stations will have a "disproportionate impact" on ethnic minority communities, older people, transgender people, and people with disabilities.

Watford is one of the few areas picked to trial the scheme during next week's elections.

The shadow voter engagement minister questioned if the measures piloted at local authorities at the May 3 elections violate the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and if it will impact on the Windrush generation.

But Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith said she did not believe the policy violates article one of the ECHR and claimed these are "not discriminatory measures".

She also pointed to a letter from a Labour councillor which she said expressed concerns that the policy will most likely have an impact on people who vote Labour.

The minister added: "Are these not crocodile tears because they are concerned that they are going to lose voters that they perceive they own, and I think that's a disgrace."

Minister Ms Smith said nobody will have to buy an ID document to vote - with marriage certificates, passports, bus passes and bank cards among the eligible ID, while councils will provide replacement or alternative methods to ensure "no-one is disenfranchised".

But Labour's Ms Smith, asking an urgent question, pressed the Government to explain if it had assessed if anyone from the Windrush generation would be denied their right to vote.

She said: "The Windrush scandal has demonstrated that it is difficult for some communities to provide official papers which could prevent legitimate voters from taking part in our democratic process, which we all value.

"It is the same hostile environment all over again, shutting our fellow citizens out of public life."

The Labour MP added electoral fraud is a "serious crime" but said there had been one conviction for impersonation in this area out of the 45 million votes cast last year.

She added: "We cannot allow this Government to pilot discriminatory measures that could disenfranchise legitimate voters who already face a multitude of barriers to democratic engagement, and I urge the minister to abandon the plans the Government has for trialling voter ID on May 3."