COMPULSORY postal voting at this year's local council elections has been put on hold after a Government defeat in the House of Lords.

Last night's objections could mean the Government scheme, aimed at increasing voter turnout, is not ready in time for this year's elections in June.

The Bill, which contained the proposal, now goes back to the House of Commons, which may not be able to push the legislation through before a May deadline.

The Government had signalled its intention to introduce postal voting to the North West for local council and European elections in June, despite the independent Electoral Commission's opposition.

But members of both the Tory and the Lib Dem benches in the House of Lords said the scheme should be confined to the East Midlands and North-East England.

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Tony Greaves said: "A Liberal government that introduced the secret ballot in 1872 and it is a Labour government 130 years later that is abolishing it.

"There is a real danger that in some properties ballot papers will be lying around the floor like so much junk mail.

"To open our democracy to such potential for abuse is too high a price to pay for increased turnout."

The Lords voted 169 to 110 to reverse a Labour plan to include the North-West and Yorkshire and the Humber in the postal voting pilot. Former Home Secretary and Ribble Valley MP Lord David Waddington also voted against the plan.

Under the scheme, voters would be sent ballot papers to return by post, saving them from going to a polling station.

But Labour's Blackburn with Darwen Council leader Sir Bill Taylor today backed the plans.

"Our council supported the extension of postal voting and closer scrutiny to make sure it was done within the rules of the law", he said. "The Lords defeat is a bit of a disappointment, but if that is the way it has to be, then so be it."

Local opposition to the plan centred on allegations of electoral fraud in a Blackburn council election.

The Crown Prosecution Service is yet to decide if a Labour councillor should face the courts.

Coun Taylor said he understood why people had reservations about the plan but believed it would eventually be adopted.

He added: "There needs to be a balance between making it easier for people without it not being open to abuse.

"Perhaps in the future they will look at it again because it is done widely across Europe and it makes common sense."

However, Conservative leader at Blackburn with Darwen, councillor Colin Rigby, welcomed the news of the defeat.

He said: "It is what we have been arguing for a long time. We want the on-going case to be resolved and it seemed rather foolish to progress until that was done."