The House of Lords' Science and Technology Committee report said cyberspace was "the playground of criminals" and that the current approach of leaving Internet security up to individual users was "inefficient and unrealistic", the BBC reported.

The report also quoted a Government survey which found that more Britons feared Internet crime than they did burglary.

The Confederation fo British Industry (CBI) backed the report's call for more Government support for online security.

A spokesman said:

"A central e-crime reporting system to pull together criminal investigations at a national level, as recommended by the Committee, could really speed up the process of identifying and prosecuting crimes.

"What would also make a real difference would be improved police capabilities and resources, which the report notes are entirely inadequate at present."