Under the plans put forward internet service providers (ISPs) and telecoms companies would have to submit records to the Home Office.

Currently records of phone calls and text messages are kept up to 12 months by telecoms companies in compliance with European Union anti-terrorism directives.

Under new proposals, information including records of billions of emails as well as internet usage and VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol) calls would be stored for 12 months. Police could access the information if given permission from the courts.

The proposals which form part of the Communications Data Bill reflect how much communication methods have changed in the past 15 years, according to the Home Office.

"The changes to the way we communicate, due particularly to the internet revolution, will increasingly undermine our current capabilities to obtain communications data and use it to protect the public," the Home Office said.

However, concerns are likely to be raised about civil liberty and data protection especially after the loss of child benefit records last year.

Jonathan Bamford, the Assistant Information Commissioner, said: "This would give us serious concerns and may well be a step too far."

David Davis, the Shadow Home Secretary, said: "Given ministers' appalling record at maintaining the integrity of databases holding people's sensitive data, this could well be more of a threat to our security, than a support."

About 57 billion text messages were sent in Britain last year, while an estimated three billion emails are sent every day.

www.homeoffice.gov.uk

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