Shropshire MP in talks with Vodafone and BT to improve mobile and broadband coverage

"Service has always been bad but it is now getting considerably worse," he said.

"The network was set up to deal with voice and is not robust enough to cope with the vast amount of data now trying to get through.

"I cannot drive between the towns in North Shropshire without losing my mobile signal.

"It is not only the economy that is suffering this could be, and has proven to be, the difference between life and death if there is no mobile signal.

"The companies told me that they want more and higher masts and a relaxation of planning laws to speed up the number of masts they can provide.

"I will be taking this up with the minister for Culture, Media and Sport and when I meet Shropshire Council.

"I would like constituents to email their postcodes to me if they have a bad signal or broadband reception. This will help show where the problems are."

Meanwhile, Telford & Wrekin Council has defended itself against a local MP's criticisms in the House of Commons regarding internet speeds.

Lucy Allan, MP for Telford, told a parliamentary debate that the council had failed to sign up for superfast broadband three years ago when the Government had offered to help with the cost.

She told MPs: "The council said, 'No thank you, Government. We do not want the money and do not want to invest in broadband'.

"However, with help from the Shropshire Star, which campaigned for change for three years, Telford & Wrekin Council has changed its mind."

Telford and Wrekin spokeswoman, Emily Tayor, said: "The broadband package on offer in 2011-12 would have been a joint package with Shropshire and would have cost three quarters of a million pounds.

"This was at a time when the council was having to find money to stabilise the Gorge as part of the Ironbridge World Heritage site work that was getting ever more urgent.

"The new agreement signed this year with BT will reach at least 98 per cent of the borough by the autumn of 2017 which is one of the highest in the country and a great outcome for Telford and Wrekin.

"As ever, we have a duty to ensure our residents' money is used as wisely as possible and we have done that with superfast broadband."