ASIAN women are being forced to vote the way their husbands tell them under the postal voting system, claims an East Lancashire Peer.

But the area's Asian leaders today hit back at the claims of Lord Tony Greaves, a Pendle LibDem who has become the staunchest critic of postal voting in the House of Lords.

Lord Greaves has claimed he knows of several cases where Asian women had defied their husband's instruction in the secrecy of the ballot box but could no longer do so when voting forms were sent to their homes.He added: "I personally know of several cases in Pendle involving Asian wives which for obvious reasons I cannot name. I think it is pretty widespread and another reason not to move to all postal voting."

However Coun Salim Mulla, a councillor in Blackburn's Queen's Park ward and also Secretary of Lancashire Council of Mosques, refuted the claims.

He said: "I don't think there is any truth in this. During the election we went to see if women had voted and found they had expressed their own opinions and have not voted the way their husbands have.

"There might be a few incidences of this but in my opinion and speaking about my experiences at this election women are educated enough and they way they voted was the way they wanted to vote."

The Electoral Commission, a voting watchdog, has asked the Government to delay postal voting for the referendum.