Voters' requests for help are being buried amid a flood of obscure and obscene emails to MPs, according to an influential group of backbenchers.

They claim that MPs are regularly "spammed" by hundreds of messages from campaign groups and third parties who have nothing to do with their daily work.

What we are concerned about is often the constituent emails are being blocked out

Michael Fabricant

The over-use of parliamentary mailboxes is making it difficult for MPs to reach the "urgent, personal" messages from constituents in trouble.

A report by the House of Commons Information Select Committee said: "The ease with which constituents and others can send emails is seen by MPs as both an opportunity and a threat.

"It can generate a demand MPs cannot meet."

'Unwanted mails'

Authorities at the Commons are now investigating ways of filtering out junk emails, including one system used by the US Congress.

Committee chairman Michael Fabricant told BBC News Online: "MPs welcome contact from their constituents.

"What we are concerned about is often the constituent emails are being blocked out because the mail box is being filled by unwanted emails."

Some MPs claim they are receiving up to 500 messages a day, while others seem to have hourly contact with emailers.

Fabricant: 'Spam' emails are preventing urgent messages from getting through

"When MPs are spammed it may mean that they are being prevented from dealing with an urgent and personal constituency problem," said Mr Fabricant, MP for Lichfield.

"If we get an email saying 'I'm being thrown out of my council house, can you help', it is a bit bad when the mail box becomes full.

"By the time you get to the urgent email, the person may have been thrown out of their house.

"Constituents are not the problem. The problem is when members of parliament are getting spammed with things that have nothing to do with them, including obscene things."

'Email porn'

Labour's Jane Griffiths said she receives about 150 emails a day, but does not want to discourage constituents from getting in touch.

As they are downloading, I can't stop them and I want to throw a cloth over the screen

Jane Griffiths

However, she stressed: "I do get quite a lot of porn on my email with quite plausible titles.

"Unfortunately I have clicked on them and as they are downloading, I can't stop them and I want to throw a cloth over the screen.

"I don't like that," she told BBC News Online.

The Reading East MP said she believed some MPs could do with a bit of technical help.

"Most of us can use computers but we are not, sort of wizzo," she said.

"I wouldn't like to have emails from constituents reduced at all. We all have too much paperwork to deal with."

Technical hitch?

The committee urges MPs to get to grips with the internet if they do not want to appear out of touch.

"The reputation of MPs and the Commons could be damaged by a refusal to embrace technologies at a time when they are becoming standard in most other organisations.

"With guidance, MPs can benefit from information and communications technologies in organising their work more efficiently and maintaining better communications with constituents."

The committee added: "Otherwise Parliament can be open to criticism that it is falling behind other parliaments in its efforts to improve contact between the public and their representatives."