AN East Lancashire firm is helping ensure that MPs don't drop their mail on the floor.

Envopak from Burnley have produced a special packet for MPs' post to replace the traditional rubber band.

For years MPs have wandered around Westminster with huge masses of envelopes and documents threatening to fall out of their thin rubber restraint.

But in the past few months the special envelopes, in House of Commons green, have taken over.

MPs often find they have two or three of the packets of mail but are delighted with the result.

The impact has been so great that the House of Lords are considering ordering their own red version of the product for peers' mail.

Burnley MP Peter Pike is delighted after years of picking up post off the floor when the elastic band snaps or the envelopes fell out. And staff at the Commons post office think the new system is far easier and more efficient.

The special green plastic envelopes have House of Commons printed on them and with 659 MPs hundreds of the packets are in use every day down at Westminster.

Mr Pike said: "I've got to say that the new system is much better. The packets are much better than the old elastic band. I much prefer them to the previous system and so do my MP colleagues.

"I am very proud that a Burnley firm has come up with this solution and won such a prestige contract. I am delighted that the Lords are now considering taking up the idea. It must be good for the company to have such a high profile product.

"It's good for jobs in Burnley and it's good for MPs at Westminster."