The rules governing postal and proxy voting should be overhauled in a bid to combat fraud.

A report by the Electoral Reform Society published on Friday has called for a "significant shake-up" of the current system.

It warned that current fraud checks are "derisory" and called for party activists to be banned from organising postal votes.

Responding to a review by the Electoral Commission into absent voting procedures, the society concluded that proxy votes should be abolished except in special cases such as the voter being out of the country on polling day.

It also backed calls for a new offence of fraudulently applying for a postal vote.

The report called for the end for the need of a second signature on the postal voter's declaration of identity and the banning of the controversial practice of wholesaling postal votes.

This is currently used by party activists who receive a large numbers of postal votes to then use on the doorstep during campaigns.

The group urged returning officers to step up checking for fraud but concluded that the problem was a small one and that overall Britain's electoral system was sound.

Ken Ritchie of the Electoral Reform Society claimed not enough checks were being made and called for more staff and resources to prevent voting fraud.

"Current checks for fraud are sometimes derisory," he said.

"We want returning officers to play a more active role in checking for fraud and in leading fraud prevention work. In order to do this properly they will need extra staff and resources, but such a price is well worth paying."

The issue of postal voting had to be addressed as voters were coming under pressure from party activists.

"Wholesaling postal votes is fraught with dangers and there is a risk of undue influence being placed on voters as well as the secrecy of the ballot being compromised. We want to see that stopped," said Ritchie.