MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has welcomed the opening of a Government inquiry into the effects of holiday letting on local communities.

But, he has warned, with so many negative impacts already becoming apparent any move to introduce controls must be treated as a matter of urgency.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston is calling for evidence on the back of statistics revealing a huge rise in short-term and holiday lets over the last 15 years - and of emerging evidence that the trend is damaging some communities, particularly in tourism hotspots.

Liddell-Grainger says the impact is already easily visible in areas like Exmoor national park.

“While I am flattered that so many people want to visit my constituency the truth is that local communities are the poorer, rather than the richer as a result of this trend,” he said.

“So many houses are being snapped up as letting properties that local people are being forced out of the housing market and a few hours’ gardening or cleaning work for local people are the only employment benefits.

“Worse, on Exmoor there seems to be a general presumption against new building of any kind so no replacement houses are being constructed to replace those lost to this sector of the tourism market.

“Holiday let clients tend to bring all their food with them so there’s no trade for the village shop - even assuming that one survives. In fact in those settlements with the highest number of second homes the village shops disappeared years ago.

He added: “We have now reached the point where we are starting to see ghost villages with few permanent residents but houses which should be occupied by locals lying empty for large sections of the year - with a negative impact on shops, pubs and other local businesses.

“We must find ways of bring order to this appalling free-for-all before that situation declines, because once it does there will be no way back.”

Anyone wishing to submit evidence to the Government can do so by clicking here.