JOHN Prescott told yesterday how he nearly fell victim to the "happy-slapping" craze in which thugs film attacks on passers-by.

The deputy prime minister was confronted by a large gang of hooded youths armed with a video camera at a motorway cafe 12 months ago.

Mr Prescott, famed for punching a protester who hit him with an egg during the 2001 election campaign, had challenged one to repeat something he had said.

The youth returned with 10 friends dressed in "hoodie" tops and carrying the camera, Mr Prescott told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Special Branch minders scared the group off before anything could happen, he said.

Mr Prescott said the incident meant he welcomed a ban on the "hoodie" look introduced by the Bluewater retail complex, in Kent, in an attempt stop anti-social behaviour.

"I have got a very personal experience of that and therefore I agree with it, " Mr Prescott said.

"I went to a motorway cafe about a year ago and some kid said something to me.

"I said, 'What did you say?'

and he came back with 10 people with hoods, you know, these fellas with hoods on.

"He came at me in a very intimidating manner but, of course, I now have security control. They appeared and they vanished.

"But what struck me about it is not only did they come with these kind of uniforms, as it is, but they came with a kind of movie camera to take a film of any such incident.

"I found that very alarming.

I think the fact you go around with these hats and these covers . . . I mean, it is a uniform, in a sense.

"It is intimidating and I rather welcome what they have done there at Bluewater."

Mr Prescott also said he did not know when the transition of power from Mr Blair would take place.

The prime minister asked backbenchers yesterday to give him the space for an orderly handover.

Critics within the parliamentary Labour party had seized on the fact that he did not repeat his pledge to serve a full third term before stepping down.