diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs
index 8657e63dcb..25f815d688 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/accordion/accordion.mjs
@@ -120,9 +120,10 @@ export class Accordion extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Accordion',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/button/button.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/button/button.mjs
index 35770bc1ee..86cc2ccdbe 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/button/button.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/button/button.mjs
@@ -35,9 +35,10 @@ export class Button extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Button',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.mjs
index d6be0d40a1..b3197bc4a3 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.mjs
@@ -75,9 +75,10 @@ export class CharacterCount extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Character count',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
@@ -88,10 +89,11 @@ export class CharacterCount extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
         $textarea instanceof HTMLInputElement
       )
     ) {
-      throw new ElementError('.govuk-js-character-count', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Character count',
         element: $textarea,
-        expectedType: 'HTMLTextareaElement or HTMLInputElement'
+        expectedType: 'HTMLTextareaElement or HTMLInputElement',
+        identifier: 'Form field (`.govuk-js-character-count`)'
       })
     }
 
@@ -140,9 +142,10 @@ export class CharacterCount extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     const textareaDescriptionId = `${this.$textarea.id}-info`
     const $textareaDescription = document.getElementById(textareaDescriptionId)
     if (!$textareaDescription) {
-      throw new ElementError(`#${textareaDescriptionId}`, {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Character count',
-        element: $textareaDescription
+        element: $textareaDescription,
+        identifier: `#${textareaDescriptionId}`
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.puppeteer.test.js b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.puppeteer.test.js
index 33be8036d0..2558fc3766 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.puppeteer.test.js
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/character-count/character-count.puppeteer.test.js
@@ -865,7 +865,8 @@ describe('Character count', () => {
           })
         ).rejects.toEqual({
           name: 'ElementError',
-          message: 'Character count: .govuk-js-character-count not found'
+          message:
+            'Character count: Form field (`.govuk-js-character-count`) not found'
         })
       })
 
@@ -884,7 +885,7 @@ describe('Character count', () => {
         ).rejects.toEqual({
           name: 'ElementError',
           message:
-            'Character count: .govuk-js-character-count is not of type HTMLTextareaElement or HTMLInputElement'
+            'Character count: Form field (`.govuk-js-character-count`) is not of type HTMLTextareaElement or HTMLInputElement'
         })
       })
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/checkboxes/checkboxes.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/checkboxes/checkboxes.mjs
index a76bfde818..452ef45d6a 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/checkboxes/checkboxes.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/checkboxes/checkboxes.mjs
@@ -31,16 +31,18 @@ export class Checkboxes extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError(`[data-module="${Checkboxes.moduleName}"]`, {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Checkboxes',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: `[data-module="${Checkboxes.moduleName}"]`
       })
     }
 
     const $inputs = $module.querySelectorAll('input[type="checkbox"]')
     if (!$inputs.length) {
-      throw new ElementError('input[type="checkbox"]', {
-        componentName: 'Checkboxes'
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Checkboxes',
+        identifier: 'input[type="checkbox"]'
       })
     }
 
@@ -57,8 +59,9 @@ export class Checkboxes extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
 
       // Throw if target conditional element does not exist.
       if (!document.getElementById(targetId)) {
-        throw new ElementError(`#${targetId}`, {
-          componentName: 'Checkboxes'
+        throw new ElementError({
+          componentName: 'Checkboxes',
+          identifier: `#${targetId}`
         })
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/error-summary/error-summary.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/error-summary/error-summary.mjs
index 9f0863d524..769bea78a7 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/error-summary/error-summary.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/error-summary/error-summary.mjs
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ export class ErrorSummary extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Error summary',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/exit-this-page/exit-this-page.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/exit-this-page/exit-this-page.mjs
index f3d06b728e..d57f717669 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/exit-this-page/exit-this-page.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/exit-this-page/exit-this-page.mjs
@@ -82,18 +82,20 @@ export class ExitThisPage extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Exit this page',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
     const $button = $module.querySelector('.govuk-exit-this-page__button')
     if (!($button instanceof HTMLAnchorElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Button', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Exit this page',
         element: $button,
-        expectedType: 'HTMLAnchorElement'
+        expectedType: 'HTMLAnchorElement',
+        identifier: 'Button'
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/header/header.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/header/header.mjs
index 2fbd23765e..cff72f3ea1 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/header/header.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/header/header.mjs
@@ -45,9 +45,10 @@ export class Header extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!$module) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Header',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
@@ -63,16 +64,18 @@ export class Header extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
 
     const menuId = $menuButton.getAttribute('aria-controls')
     if (!menuId) {
-      throw new ElementError('.govuk-js-header-toggle[aria-controls]', {
-        componentName: 'Header'
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Header',
+        identifier: '.govuk-js-header-toggle[aria-controls]'
       })
     }
 
     const $menu = document.getElementById(menuId)
     if (!$menu) {
-      throw new ElementError(`#${menuId}`, {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Header',
-        element: $menu
+        element: $menu,
+        identifier: `#${menuId}`
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/notification-banner/notification-banner.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/notification-banner/notification-banner.mjs
index 055571cec0..1da998cf7c 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/notification-banner/notification-banner.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/notification-banner/notification-banner.mjs
@@ -26,9 +26,10 @@ export class NotificationBanner extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Notification banner',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/radios/radios.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/radios/radios.mjs
index 68873595d3..a6072d0a9e 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/radios/radios.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/radios/radios.mjs
@@ -31,16 +31,18 @@ export class Radios extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError(`[data-module="${Radios.moduleName}"]`, {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Radios',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: `[data-module="${Radios.moduleName}"]`
       })
     }
 
     const $inputs = $module.querySelectorAll('input[type="radio"]')
     if (!$inputs.length) {
-      throw new ElementError('input[type="radio"]', {
-        componentName: 'Radios'
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Radios',
+        identifier: 'input[type="radio"]'
       })
     }
 
@@ -57,8 +59,9 @@ export class Radios extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
 
       // Throw if target conditional element does not exist.
       if (!document.getElementById(targetId)) {
-        throw new ElementError(`#${targetId}`, {
-          componentName: 'Radios'
+        throw new ElementError({
+          componentName: 'Radios',
+          identifier: `#${targetId}`
         })
       }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs
index b9c14b03ca..cf9877483a 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/skip-link/skip-link.mjs
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ export class SkipLink extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!($module instanceof HTMLAnchorElement)) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Skip link',
         element: $module,
-        expectedType: 'HTMLAnchorElement'
+        expectedType: 'HTMLAnchorElement',
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
@@ -52,11 +53,7 @@ export class SkipLink extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     // Check for link hash fragment
     if (!linkedElementId) {
       throw new ElementError(
-        'Root element (`$module`) attribute (`href`) has no URL fragment',
-        {
-          componentName: 'Skip link',
-          identifierIsMessage: true
-        }
+        'Skip link: Root element (`$module`) attribute (`href`) has no URL fragment'
       )
     }
 
@@ -64,9 +61,10 @@ export class SkipLink extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
 
     // Check for link target element
     if (!$linkedElement) {
-      throw new ElementError(`Linked element #${linkedElementId}`, {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Skip link',
-        element: $linkedElement
+        element: $linkedElement,
+        identifier: `Linked element #${linkedElementId}`
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/tabs/tabs.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/tabs/tabs.mjs
index be1c6769c7..b2fd0076e4 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/tabs/tabs.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/components/tabs/tabs.mjs
@@ -51,16 +51,18 @@ export class Tabs extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     super()
 
     if (!$module) {
-      throw new ElementError('Root element (`$module`)', {
+      throw new ElementError({
         componentName: 'Tabs',
-        element: $module
+        element: $module,
+        identifier: 'Root element (`$module`)'
       })
     }
 
     const $tabs = $module.querySelectorAll('a.govuk-tabs__tab')
     if (!$tabs.length) {
-      throw new ElementError(`a.govuk-tabs__tab`, {
-        componentName: 'Tabs'
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Tabs',
+        identifier: `a.govuk-tabs__tab`
       })
     }
 
@@ -78,14 +80,16 @@ export class Tabs extends GOVUKFrontendComponent {
     )
 
     if (!$tabList) {
-      throw new ElementError(`.govuk-tabs__list`, {
-        componentName: 'Tabs'
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Tabs',
+        identifier: `.govuk-tabs__list`
       })
     }
 
     if (!$tabListItems.length) {
-      throw new ElementError(`.govuk-tabs__list-item`, {
-        componentName: 'Tabs'
+      throw new ElementError({
+        componentName: 'Tabs',
+        identifier: `.govuk-tabs__list-item`
       })
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.jsdom.test.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.jsdom.test.mjs
index efd0e3f18f..6eb73e0a2a 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.jsdom.test.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.jsdom.test.mjs
@@ -28,22 +28,30 @@ describe('errors', () => {
   describe('ElementError', () => {
     it('is an instance of GOVUKFrontendError', () => {
       expect(
-        new ElementError('variableName', {
-          componentName: 'Component name'
+        new ElementError({
+          componentName: 'Component name',
+          identifier: 'variableName'
         })
       ).toBeInstanceOf(GOVUKFrontendError)
     })
     it('has its own name set', () => {
       expect(
-        new ElementError('variableName', {
-          componentName: 'Component name'
+        new ElementError({
+          componentName: 'Component name',
+          identifier: 'variableName'
         }).name
       ).toBe('ElementError')
     })
+    it('accepts a string and does not process it in any way', () => {
+      expect(new ElementError('Complex custom error message').message).toBe(
+        'Complex custom error message'
+      )
+    })
     it('formats the message when the element is not found', () => {
       expect(
-        new ElementError('variableName', {
-          componentName: 'Component name'
+        new ElementError({
+          componentName: 'Component name',
+          identifier: 'variableName'
         }).message
       ).toBe('Component name: variableName not found')
     })
@@ -51,10 +59,11 @@ describe('errors', () => {
       const element = document.createElement('div')
 
       expect(
-        new ElementError('variableName', {
+        new ElementError({
           componentName: 'Component name',
           element,
-          expectedType: 'HTMLAnchorElement'
+          expectedType: 'HTMLAnchorElement',
+          identifier: 'variableName'
         }).message
       ).toBe('Component name: variableName is not of type HTMLAnchorElement')
     })
diff --git a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs
index 5b55ccad31..4afbed6a1e 100644
--- a/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs
+++ b/packages/govuk-frontend/src/govuk/errors/index.mjs
@@ -48,31 +48,39 @@ export class ElementError extends GOVUKFrontendError {
   name = 'ElementError'
 
   /**
-   * @param {string} identifier - An identifier that'll let the user understand which element has an error. This is whatever makes the most sense
-   * @param {object} options - Element error options
-   * @param {string} options.componentName - The name of the component throwing the error
-   * @param {Element | null} [options.element] - The element in error
-   * @param {string} [options.expectedType] - The type that was expected for the identifier
-   * @param {boolean} [options.identifierIsMessage] - Whether or not to process the identifier text. Use this to pass in custom messages
+   *
+   * @overload
+   * @param {string} messageOrOptions - The error message
    */
-  constructor(
-    identifier,
-    { componentName, element, expectedType, identifierIsMessage }
-  ) {
+
+  /**
+   * @overload
+   * @param {object} messageOrOptions - Element error options
+   * @param {string} messageOrOptions.componentName - The name of the component throwing the error
+   * @param {string} messageOrOptions.identifier - An identifier that'll let the user understand which element has an error. This is whatever makes the most sense
+   * @param {Element | null} [messageOrOptions.element] - The element in error
+   * @param {string} [messageOrOptions.expectedType] - The type that was expected for the identifier
+   * @param {boolean} [messageOrOptions.identifierIsMessage] - Whether or not to process the identifier text. Use this to pass in custom messages
+   */
+  constructor(messageOrOptions) {
+    /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-member-access */
+
     let message = ''
-    if (identifierIsMessage) {
-      message = identifier
-    } else {
-      message = `${identifier} not found`
 
+    if (typeof messageOrOptions === 'string') {
+      message = messageOrOptions
+    } else if (typeof messageOrOptions === 'object') {
+      message = `${messageOrOptions.componentName}: ${messageOrOptions.identifier} not found`
       // Otherwise check for type mismatch
-      if (element) {
-        message = `${identifier} is not of type ${
-          expectedType || 'HTMLElement'
-        }`
+      if (messageOrOptions.element) {
+        message = `${messageOrOptions.componentName}: ${
+          messageOrOptions.identifier
+        } is not of type ${messageOrOptions.expectedType || 'HTMLElement'}`
       }
     }
 
-    super(`${componentName}: ${message}`)
+    /* eslint-enable @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-member-access */
+
+    super(`${message}`)
   }
 }