HELENSBURGH’S MP has added his voice to those demanding an explanation after reports said thousands of emails listing people needing evacuated from Afghanistan had been left unopened.

Brendan O’Hara MP made the demand to the Foreign Office which had even set up a dedicated ‘special cases’ inbox to deal with the requests.

Since last week, Mr O’Hara’s office has dealt with several urgent appeals for assistance from worried constituents, those with family and friends in Afghanistan and charities whose workers have been unable to get out.

Following reports in a Sunday newspaper that 5,000 emails from MP’s offices across the UK still sit unopened, Mr O’Hara said: “If this is true then it is utterly shocking but unfortunately, not surprising.

“I know officials will have been working hard in extremely difficult circumstances to help, but this is a leadership problem that goes right to the top.

“Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, must explain why thousands of emails detailing desperate pleas for help, have been directed into a black hole.

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“We always knew it was a long-shot, but we told those who contacted us that we’d do our best, which we did.

“To find out now that in all likelihood, those emails containing the names and details weren’t even looked at is a real kick in the teeth and must be absolutely heart-breaking for those who’d been living in hope of a minor miracle.

“If this report is correct, government figures for those still requiring evacuation is far in excess of the 1,100 quoted. The UK evacuation finished yesterday (August 30), and it looks like these people have simply been abandoned to their fate.”

A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesperson said: “We have been working tirelessly to evacuate over 15,000 people from Afghanistan in the last two weeks.

“We deployed a 24/7 cross-Whitehall team based in our crisis hub to triage incoming emails and calls from British Nationals, ARAP applicants, and other vulnerable Afghans.”

“We always cautioned that the nature of the security situation in Afghanistan and our responsibility to keep our people safe meant that we would not be able to evacuate everyone we wanted to.

“Our efforts have now turned to doing everything we can to help any remaining British nationals and the Afghans who supported us leave Afghanistan safely.”