The man heading an investigation into alleged voting irregularities in Bradford has welcomed new Government measures which could make postal voting fraud illegal.

Fraudulently applying for a postal vote is likely to become a specific criminal offence under new measures to crack down on electoral fraud, the Lord Chancellor confirmed yesterday.

Bradford Council's chief executive and returning officer Philip Robinson said he hoped the new proposals unveiled by Lord Falconer of Thoroton QC would be implemented before the next local government elections in Bradford which will be held in 2006.

In Bradford, Mr Robinson and West Yorkshire Police are conducting the UK's largest investigation into potential ballot fraud following the General Election.

They are looking at 252 cases in the city involving postal vote applications. Two arrests have also been made in connection with the investigation including Bradford Conservative councillor Jamshed Khan.

Mr Robinson said he hoped the measures would bring in a "more robust system".

Lord Falconer said the measures to be introduced in Tuesday's Queen's Speech would include:

l A new offence of fraudulently applying for a postal vote.

l Collecting each voters' signatures and dates of birth at registration to verify ballot papers.

l Banning political parties from collecting application forms.

l Putting barcodes and water marks on postal ballots.

He ruled out introducing individual registration, as opposed to registration by household, despite it being recommended by the Electoral Commission.

He claimed this could cause a drop in the number of people registered to vote.

Mr Robinson welcomed the proposals, saying: "I, along with many other returning officers across the country, would be willing to assist in the review and to offer our expertise and experience."

He added: "A more robust system is certainly needed to prevent postal ballot fraud and rules on registration all need to be tightened considerably to restore public confidence."

Keighley MP Ann Cryer, a Labour backbencher, said: "Anything that can be done to eradicate fraudulent behaviour in elections is to be welcomed.

"We don't want to go back to the period where postal votes were difficult to get, because that is a denial of democracy."