It is an all too common and frustrating 21st century problem - wanting to make a call or watch a video on your phone only to see the little bars at the top of the screen disappear.

But now an MEP has launched a campaign to hold phone service providers to account.

London Conservative Syed Kamall, a Kingston resident, is asking people who experience poor mobile signal to log their locations at a new website, nobarscampaign.co.uk.

The politician said mobiles are a "lifeline for sick and elderly people" as well as parents keeping in touch with their children.

He added: "London is the most important communications hub in the world. It is unacceptable that so much of the city has a poor signal or no signal at all.

"People find it infuriating when they rely on their phones, but then find it difficult or impossible to make a simple call or access emails.

"A first class global city should not have to put up with third rate communications."

Surrey Comet:

Dr Kamall hopes to map areas where signal is poor

Loss of signal is a common complaint in and around the borough, with Surbiton and Kingston being hotspots for grumbling.

The familiar situation of being unable to get a signal in Kingston town centre has seen some phone users dub the phenomenon, the "Kingston dip".

Kingston and Surbiton MP Edward Davey said: "I think we are completely at one on this.

"In the coalition we have been working on 'not-spots'. We've been working with the industry to work out how they can end the existent not-spots.

"I have a not-spot in my house which is very frustrating. Sometimes I'm making a phone call and I have to give up and go on the landline."

A Government consultation into tackling the not-spots, run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is open until 12am on Wednesday, November 26.