Editing Shapefiles

I am using the packages shapefiles, and maptools in R to visualize data
from shapefiles, dbf files, and census data.

My question is this, is it possible once a shapefile is read into R, to
edit the contents of the shapefile?

Let me give a practical example.

I am using a shapefile of electoral wards in England and I would like to
be able to remove some of the wards from the shapefile in order to have
a smaller shapefile of wards, for example, London wards only. After
reading susbstantial amounts of documentation and related articles and
numerous web searches I have so far been unable to find an answer.

 

Responses would be greatly appreciated.

 

Malcolm Campbell

Economic Research Institute of Northern Ireland

2nd Floor, Floral Buildings

2-14 East Bridge Street

BELFAST

BT1 3NQ

 

Tel: 028 9072 7370

 

M.Campbell at erini.ac.uk

 

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