London, July 6 (TIWN) Some members of the UK's ruling Conservative Party have been issued with more than one ballot paper to vote for the next party leader and Prime Minister, the BBC said in a report on Saturday.

One party insider estimated that more than a thousand voters could be affected.  Members are warned that voting twice will mean they are expelled, the Conservatives said.  Meanwhile, Boris Johnson will unveil his crime policy while Jeremy Hunt will say it is time for serious leadership.  Ballot papers have been dispatched to around 160,000 Conservative Party members around the country to choose between Mr Johnson and Mr Hunt as the next leader - and the next prime minister.  The vote closes on 22 July, with the result announced the following day. 

Tory leadership: Compare the candidates Intelligence claims raise Johnson trust issue again Young members' take on the next PM Do Hunt and Johnson's sums add up? BBC Radio 4's Today Programme has learned that some members have received two ballot papers, in some cases because members live and work in different constituencies and may have joined local Conservative Associations in both areas. 

People who have changed their name, after marriage for example, may also have been affected.  The BBC has also seen duplicate ballot papers which have been issued to the same person at the same address.  'I don't vote twice' The Conservative Party and the independent body hired to scrutinise the running of the leadership election were both unable to say how many ballot papers had been sent in error. 

"The ballot holds clear instructions that members voting more than once will be expelled," the party said.  Sir Patrick McLoughlin, who is chairing Mr Hunt's leadership campaign, admitted that he also gets two ballot papers as he is on two separate registers.  "It doesn't mean I vote twice, I don't," he told the Today programme.  Asked whether the duplicate ballots need to be more heavily policed, he said: "It's right there on the ballot paper saying you must only vote on one occasion and I expect people to do that."