Labour voters turned out in force at a polling station today as Londoners get ready to elect a new mayor and 25 assembly members.

Everyone voter The Guardian spoke with at a polling station in King's Road, Leytonstone, had voted Labour's Sadiq Khan to become mayor.

Polling for the Greater London Authority elections opened at 7am this morning (Thursday, May 5) and will close at 10pm.

Voters were asked choose a first and second mayoral preference and two types of assembly members - a constituency representative and a London-wide candidate.

Martin Cargill said: “I’m representing the gay vote so I went with Labour.

“I absolutely believe in the right to vote, it’s our democratic right and people died for it.

“People can’t go moaning about Boris, the government, the assembly or even Goldsmith without voting in my opinion.”

Merlyn Brewer, 68, said: “We are a Labour area so I just went with Labour.

“It was a difficult choice because I wasn’t sure about any of the candidates.”

Barbara Redmond, 67, said: "I always vote Labour but this time I did consider voting Green but I was so angry about how Sadiq was attacked by the Tories I had to support Labour.”

Gulzar Sleemy, 79, said: “I have too many good things to say about Sadiq so I’ll just say I like how he is a working class man with a working class background.”

Pierre David said: “I voted Labour on all three papers, Sadiq Khan as my first choice and Caroline Pidgeon for the Liberal Democrats as my second."