NEW measures to stop fraudulent voting were promised last night in a last-gasp bid to rescue plans for all-postal ballots in North West elections in June.

The government attempted to settle a damaging row with the House of Lords by insisting everybody must have their vote witnessed by another person.

Ministers urged Tory and Liberal Democrat peers to accept the concession and allow returning officers to start planning for the elections - now just 12 weeks away.

But the opposition peers were expected to fight on to knock the North West off the list of areas where traditional booths will be scrapped, because of fears over fraud.

The Lords has already amended the European Parliamentary and Local Elections (Pilots) Bill twice - wrecking planning for what has been dubbed Super Thursday.

On June 10, voters go to the polls to elect members of the European Parliament, as well as for elections to local authorities across the country.

The government - in an attemp to boost the turn-out - ignored advice from the Electoral Commission that all-postal ballots should be tried out only in the North East and East Midlands.

The Tories and Liberal Democrats leapt on warnings by the independent body that the North West is "unsuitable" because of recent fraud and the high number of multi-elections.

The government did not want all votes to be witnessed because of fears that more ballot papers would be spoiled and that people living on their own would be discouraged from voting.

But the change was demanded by the Lords, in addition to its insistence that the experiment should take place in the North East and East Midlands only.

Earlier, Lib Dem peer Lord Rennard, said the Commission had been set up to "avoid the perception of governments manipulating voting systems for their own electoral advantage."

Lord Rennard, who was born in Liverpool, said: "Having four postal pilots is nothing to do with piloting and experimentation.

"The four postal pilots in these regions are to do with the fears of Labour council leaders who fear that without a change in voting mechanism they will lose their positions of power."

As well as the uncertainty facing local authorities planning for the elections, the government is also under pressure from its own activists to settle the row.

It has refused to set a deadline by which detailed election planning must begin, but notices must be printed in time to be put up on April 30.

If the Lords still refuses to back down, ministers could be forced to scrap the experiment.