PETER Luff's fan mail has its highs and lows, and the Dick and Dom debate has magnified things in the last couple of weeks.

His initial dismissal of their "lavatorial" website had the Mid-Worcestershire Tory's inbox crowded with critical e-mails from young and admiring viewers of Dick and Dom in Da Bungalow.

As the melee has died down, however, the e-mails have largely dried up, while Mr Luff's postbag has gradually swollen with conventional letters which are generally more supportive.

Evidently, traditional letter-writers are less disposed than the e-mail generation towards websites encouraging children to wear pants on their heads.

E-mail

Not surprising then that the following piece of correspondence came to Mr Luff this week via e-mail.

"hello i think you need to stop shakin hands with dogs and start to get on the with younger generation like at the skate parks and ask what the younger generation want not what the elderly want for there future as they may not have much a longer future and i find this a great waste on reasources." (sic).

The mention of dogs is thought to be a reference to Mr Luff's website where, until recently, there has been a photo of the MP with his dog.

The dog died over Christmas, however, and the picture has since been taken down.

"It's a pretty tactless way to approach an MP," Mr Luff told me.

"As it happens, I meet young people at his school regularly and I look forward to doing so again - in particular I look forward to meeting this young man."

But, despite such discourteous mail, Mr Luff isn't one to discourage correspondence from all sections of the electorate and this week took delivery of a new e-mail device to increase his messaging potential.

I revealed before Christmas how Mr Luff was in charge of getting all his Tory colleagues to use BlackBerries - the all-singing, all-dancing new personal organiser featuring e-mail facilities.

He now has his own and is plainly impressed with the new gadget.

"It's wonderful - I'm just learning how to play with it," he said.