John Prescott's department was "meddling in the first degree" over applications for Las Vegas-style supercasinos, Southend's council boss said.

In a leaked email written in February, chief executive Rob Tinlin said the approach from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was "wholly indefensible".

Mr Tinlin's email emerged after claims Mr Prescott pressed for a supercasino at London's Millennium Dome, owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz.

Leaked emails appear to show Mr Prescott's department asked south Essex Thames Gateway officials to prioritise the Dome, at the expense of Southend's bid.

Mary Spence, chief executive of Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership, wrote to colleagues after a meeting with Mr Prescott's officials, saying: "The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister wants to make a decision on a single preferred option in the Thames Gateway... reason for this being that government policy is ONE licence."

Mr Tinlin said there was a meeting in February between Mr Prescott's officials, Thames Gateway staff and other agencies involved in the Thames Gateway where the suggestion was made to prioritise the Dome bid.

The proposal was rejected by Southend Council.

Mr Tinlin sent an internal email at the time in which he wrote: "This is a wholly indefensible approach from ODPM which is meddling in the first degree. We need to nail this through as many routes as possible!"

Mr Tinlin told the Echo after the email was leaked: "There seems to have been a suggestion made to prioritise the different bids.

"To the best of my knowledge, we didn't experience undue pressure to move our bid or withdraw or anything else.

"There was a suggestion for prioritisation and we didn't go for it.

"My priority was to Southend, therefore a prioritisation of the existing bids ahead of the system the Government set up wasn't in our interest."