Conservative politicians have called for tough new laws which they claim will make it more difficult for paedophiles to use internet chat rooms to target children.

Shadow home secretary Oliver Letwin said he believes the case for new legislation has already been made.

He also wants increased penalties for paedophiles who refuse to unlock encrypted information being stored on the internet.

But the government claims that the call has come too late, as a Home Office task force is already considering new legislation to protect children from paedophiles who try to contact them in person, on the phone or via the internet.

Letwin said that a new offence of internet grooming should be introduced immediately. "Even if the police do uncover such actions, in themselves they are not presently illegal," he said.

Parents should also have the right to get an injunction in the courts if they think an adult is using the internet to contact a child to entice them into sex, Letwin added.