EAST Lancashire Peer Lord Tony Greaves is stepping up his campaign to prevent abuse of postal votes.

The former Pendle councillor is concerned that the system might have been abused in the 2002 local elections.

He reported to the police claims that up to 1,000 votes in the four Pendle marginal wards of Brierfield and Nelson's Bradley Southfield and Whitefield had been illegally cast.

He was concerned that instead of going to the homes of the name the voters they went to "common addresses" and were filled in by activists of another party.

He also alleged a similar practice in Daneshouse ward in Burnley.

However a police investigation led Crown Prosecutors to decide there was not enough evidence to proceed in respect of a criminal offence.

But this week Lord Greaves raised the issue once again at Westminster.

In the House of Lords he said that activists of all parties across the country had abused postal voting.

He said that extension of the postal voting system should be put on hold because of widespread fraud in the system.

He warned: "If the government move to a comprehensive all-postal voting system, we shall undermine the very basis of our democracy."

He said that at the very least there should be individual registration and signature for postal votes which should only be sent to the electors address.

Lord Greaves is now to introduce an amendment to the government's European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Bill which seeks to extend postal voting.

This will include the extra safeguard he demanded in the House of Lords concerning individual registration and signature for postal votes.