A WORCESTERSHIRE MP has backed controversial new internet spying laws - telling David Cameron he supports the crackdown.

Nigel Huddleston intervened during Prime Minister's Questions today, saying security services should be given greater powers to spy on people's personal web use.

The Government's new Investigatory Powers Bill, which has just been unveiled by Home Secretary Theresa May, will cost the UK an estimated £247 million to implement over the next decade if MPs vote it through.

The Government says criminals are moving around too freely online, and intends to force internet companies to keep records of what people are doing.

Ministers will also get powers to sign off intrusive spying surveillance for groups like MI5, with decisions referred to judges as a 'check and balance' under the Bill.

Internet firms must keep people's records for 12 months, with the move already sparking opposition from civil liberties campaigners.

Mr Huddleston, who represents Mid-Worcestershire, used the Commons session to highlight how enormous the internet is becoming.

He said: "The UK’s internet economy is by far the largest of the G20 nations, at 12.4 per cent of our GDP but as consumers move online, so do criminals."

He then told the PM if he agreed that the Bill "must give our security services the powers they need to keep us safe" while keeping proper controls.

Mr Cameron called it one of the "most important" pieces of proposed law MPs will discuss, adding: "Communications data, the who called whom and when of telecommunications, have been absolutely vital in catching rapists and child abductors and in solving other crimes.

"The question before us is, do we need that data when people are using social media to commit those crimes rather than just a fixed or mobile phone?

"My answer is yes, we must help the police and our security and intelligence services to keep us safe."

After the debate Mr Huddleston said: "Criminals and terrorists have been using digital communications for a while and this new Bill enables law enforcement and the security services to catch up.

"The size and scale of the internet in the UK is often under-estimated.

"Few people realise we are in many ways the most advanced digital economy on the planet.

"The internet economy of France is a quarter the size of the UK, Germany’s is a third and the US is half the size as a percentage of GDP.

"The UK benefits greatly from our leadership in the digital space in terms of economic growth and jobs but because of the size of our internet economy we are also more exposed to attack and criminality in the digital arena than most other countries." MI5, GCHQ and the police say their capability to track terrorists and criminals is worsening because so much communication is now done online.

Ms May says a new offence of "knowingly or recklessly obtaining communications data" will be created to guard against abuses, with those convicted facing up to two years in jail.