PROTESTERS who stormed the House of Commons last week were allowed in with a letter purporting to be from St Albans MP Kerry Pollard.

The pro-hunt campaigners stunned MPs when they broke into chambers during the fox-hunting debate on Wednesday in one of the worst breaches of Commons security in memory.

The demonstrators, dressed in hard hats and suits, had been allowed into the building with a forged letter, carrying the signatures of Mr Pollard and MP for Louth & Horncastle Sir Peter Tapsell.

Five of them reached the floor of the chamber, shouting at MPs before being tackled by security staff.

The letter alleged that the protesters had been invited by Mr Pollard to attend a meeting of the fictitious all-party electrical and skills group.

The MP, who is a member of the similarly-titled all-party construction skills group, said he believed an insider at the Commons had tipped the protesters off with information on who was involved in the committee. However, those involved insist they received no inside help.

Mr Pollard said: "I was really outraged that my name was used and I went cold thinking about what could have happened to everyone there. We could have all been killed by these clowns."

Describing the breach as "an attack on democracy", Mr Pollard said: "At the moment people are free to lobby their MPs but that has been put in jeopardy.

"It will place a greater distance between politicians and voters."

He added: "I also think it set back their cause because they will lose sympathy."

The MP, who was in his offices above the chamber at the time of the security breach, has voted consistently in favour of a ban on fox hunting.

Mr Pollard has written to speaker of the house Michael Martin to urge him to prosecute for the fraudulent use of the MP's name and to request that Parliament remain closed when building work is being carried out.

He said: "There are dozens of people around with hard hats at the moment and the demonstrators just blended in."

Eight men have been arrested on suspicion of using a forged document, burglary with intent to commit criminal damage and violent disorder.

Despite the disruptions the Government succeeded in pushing the Hunting Bill through all its stages in one sitting and it was sent to the Lords.