A great stink began wafting through the corridors around the House of Commons after a burst water pipe took the toilets out of action.

The toilets were blocked on the busiest day of Parliament this year which has led to demands for Theresa May to start a £6billion refurbishment.

Tom Brake from the commission in charge of Commons maintenance said: “Parliament cannot keep its legs crossed for another 10 years.

“When the toilets stop flushing you know it is time to stop kicking the can down the road.”

Senior MPs offices are higher up so faced the worst blockages, but also politicians and staff were unable to use loos outside the Stranger’s Bar.

Labour MP Chris Bryant said: “People have always worried that a major fire might close parliament down but the drains are every bit as critical.

“A couple of years ago staff had to have hepatitis jabs when they were sprayed with filth from a burst drain.

"It’s time the Government took action as it’s been sitting on the report for two years.

“It’s time they got off their backsides and stopped us going down the drain.”

Thames Water experts fixed the problem but the toilets were still blocked last night.

The Palace of Westminster is in desperate need of refurbishment with faulty wiring, structural problems antiquated plumbing and is infested with mice.

Some of the Victorian sections need 24-hour patrols by fire marshals.

Also, Big Ben is tilting by a perilous 18 inches and whenever there is heavy rainfall buckets need to be distributed around the estate as the roof is no longer watertight, leading to damp in the walls and ceilings.

Lifts are regularly closed as unfit for use due to their age, the oldest was installed in 1893 and Parliament regularly struggles to meet legal standards for disability access.

The building is also riddled with Asbestos, which is toxic, there is virtually no air conditioning, 44 rooms do not have windows and miles of cabling have not been overhauled since the 1940s.

Refurbishment of Parliament was pencilled in to start in mid-2020 but members of the cross-party restoration and renewal committee think it is too ambitious given the amount of preparation needed.

Also, repair costs for Elizabeth Tower - Big Ben - have doubled to an estimated £61million, parliamentary authorities have said.

The conservation project for the clock tower was originally priced at £29million in the spring of 2016.

The repair effort caused controversy when it was announced that Big Ben would only chime on special occasions over the next four years while the works were being carried out.

A House of Commons spokeswoman said: “The commissions expressed their disappointment in the cost increases, and the unreliability of the original estimate.

“They instructed officials to provide regular updates on progress and costs to the relevant domestic committees so they can keep the commissions fully informed of the project.

“They also reiterated their commitment to preserving the Elizabeth Tower and Great Clock for future generations.”