JOHN PRESCOTT ignored his independent advisors when he pressed ahead with plans for all-postal voting in the regional assemblies referendums, it emerged last night.

The Deputy Prime Minister laid orders before Parliament last week, paving the way for the North-East and Yorkshire polls, before the Electoral Commission reports on allegations of postal voting fraud and intimidation.

Mr Prescott said he had to act swiftly to avoid delaying the referendums which are due in the autumn. But MPs were told yesterday that the commission told ministers it would prefer them to wait for its evaluation, due to be published on September 13.

That investigation follows this month's controversial experiments with all-postal voting in four regions - including the North-East and Yorkshire - in local and European elections.

The commission's plea was revealed by Tory former minister Peter Viggers, who answers MPs' questions on behalf of the watchdog.

Mr Viggers said: "The commission believed there would be benefit in Parliament having available to it the evaluation report on the June pilots before taking a decision on whether to approve the orders specifying the form of the referendum."

The revelation will increase speculation that the commission will decide that traditional polling booths should not be scrapped for the referendums.

The Government has already agreed it cannot press ahead if all-postal ballots are ruled to be unsafe and warned a delay would then be almost inevitable.

Mr Prescott has pledged to publish draft legislation on the proposed powers of the assemblies before July 22, when MPs leave Westminster for the summer break.

He is also expected to reveal the planned date for the poll, and confirm the second question to be asked in County Durham and North Yorkshire, where voters must also decide a new local government structure.