CHARITY bosses have launched a probe after a life-saving charity's website was blitzed by internet advertisers.

A visitors' book on the North West Air Ambulance's official site, which allows messages of support from patients, is being used to advertise on-line gambling and non-prescription drugs.

Today the charity admitted it did not have the resources to monitor its site 24-hours a day.

And the brother of a man who lost his life following a motorbike accident has slammed the internet advertisers for corrupting the website with "spam" e-mails.

A spokesman for the Charities Commission, the body that regulates charitable organisations, said: "We are concerned about possible abuse of the website. We will look into this and contact the trustees."

Today Graem Barsby, who regularly fundraises for the charity after the death of his brother Jeffrey, 35, of Higher Causeway, Barrowford, last August, labelled the culprits as 'idiots'. Jeffrey, 35, was killed on his 750cc Kawasaki when he collided with a deer in the Trough of Bowland.

Mr Barsby, 45, of Grasmere Street, Burnley, said: "It's sad. They can take the effort to go and do something like that, why can't they take the effort to give a few pence instead? It is something I feel quite passionate about now."

The Air Ambulance, which covers 5,500 square miles in the north west, needs £70,000 a month to stay in business. All the money comes from charitable donations.

Spokesman Paul Crone said: "Our guest book is really important to us. Lots of people leave messages of thanks to the crew.

"It's a real problem but we just don't have the resources to have somebody watching it 24 hours a day."

Nigel Evans, Ribble Valley MP, said: "I know somebody myself who was taken by the Air Ambulance to the hospital after a car crash. People would be horrified to think anybody could use a website like this for their own personal gain."

Greg Pope, Hyndburn MP, said: "What a disgraceful abuse of this charity's website. What kind of sick people would do this?"