Voting has begun at polling stations across the UK, with some 180 councils and 5,000 ward seats up for grabs in the 2012 local government elections.

Mayoral votes are also taking place today, with London's keenly contested race between Conservative incumbent Boris Johnson and Labour's former mayor Ken Livingstone set to be settled. Ten cities – including Manchester and Birmingham – are also set to decide whether to hold future votes on directly-elected mayors.