A STUDENT is refusing to take down a spoof website which pokes fun at the Government's Preparing For Emergencies booklet.

York University student Thomas Scott said he received a "firmly worded" e-mail from the Cabinet Office only 12 hours after he launched his bogus website on Monday.

The fake website www.preparingforemergencies.co.uk bears an uncanny resemblance to the real thing, but instead of coming from HM Government, comes from HM Department of Vague Paranoia.

The 19-year-old linguistics student said he did it as a joke and has no intention of taking it down.

He said: "I got a firmly worded e-mail asking me to take it down.

"I'm not sure if it was from someone high up or a low-level civil servant. Whoever it was they don't have a sense of humour.

"It is quite obviously a parody and I don't think anybody is going to be confused by it."

Mr Scott, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, has put a copy of the letter he says came from the Cabinet Office on his site.

It states: "In the interests of helping people to cope in the event of a crisis or a disaster we would ask that you to take down the site immediately, and not put it up again in another guise."

A spokeswoman from the Cabinet Office said the real website contained a serious message and it was important that the public were not confused.

She added: "We are aware of the website and are taking advice."

The Government's website can be found at www.preparingfor emergencies.gov.uk.

The booklet and website contains "valuable and common-sense advice" for the public in the event of an emergency.