Using surveillance laws to spy on journalists is "wrong" and "must cease", Home Affairs Select Committee chairman Keith Vaz said.

His comments come after it emerged officers used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) to seize newspaper phone records relating to the Plebgate and Chris Huhne speeding point scandals.

A report by the committee also found the laws were "unfit for purpose" and that police routinely failed to record information.

Mr Vaz said: "Using Ripa to access telephone records of journalists is wrong and this practice must cease.

"The inevitable consequence is that this deters whistleblowers from coming forward."

He added: "We are concerned that the level of secrecy surrounding the use of Ripa allows investigating authorities to engage in acts which would be unacceptable in a democracy, with inadequate oversight."

The committee is now calling on the Home Office to hold a consultation on the Ripa Code of Practice, with special provisions for dealing with privileged information such as journalistic material.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Labour has said for some time that Ripa needs to be reviewed - that is why we insisted on a statutory review as part of the Government's legislation on data retention in July.

"The law hasn't kept pace with advancement in technology and it needs to be proportionate. Access to communications data is vital to the police and intelligence agencies in their fight against terrorism, child abuse and other serious crimes.

"But it is also important that there are strong checks and balances in place to ensure this data is not used inappropriately."

Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire said he expected a revised Ripa code to be published before Christmas.

He added: "A free press is fundamental to a free society and the Government is determined that nothing is done which puts that at risk.

"Communications data is an absolutely critical tool used by police and other agencies to investigate crime, safeguard national security and protect the public. There are measures in place to ensure that police powers to access this data are not abused."