A number of website owners have been unable to access their sites after Fasthosts changed the passwords on accounts which it believed had been compromised.

The web hosting firm took action after its servers suffered an intrusion, and sent new passwords by post to ensure that user account details were protected.

However, customers unable to access their FTP accounts have not been able to amend their websites.

"After being unable to log-on to Fasthosts in order to upload new content to my site I received an email which told me that I should have changed my password on October 18," said vnunet.com reader 'Richard'.

"Unfortunately both emails went straight to my bulk filter. I am now unable to modify my site until my new password arrives in the post, presumably along with a couple of CDs of child benefit details."

'Richard' said that he had tried the company's helpline with no success, and that customer support was not responding to emails.

Another vnunet.com reader, Paul Webster, commented that he had been unable to update his church website, which included information for disabled worshippers who are unable to attend services.

"This week I was unable to do this and could find no reason why my FTP login was failing," he said.

"I couldn't even log into the 24/7 call centre nor any of the other services, and attempting to telephone Fasthosts put me in a queue of 50 others who, presumably, were also trying to get similar information."

Reader Mary Davies said she was assured that a new password would be sent in the post, but it had yet to arrive.

"Now I can't get a reply from them because their customer login wants my new password which I don't have," she said.

"I have just received a notification that my standing order has been collected. How long do you think a customer should be left without access to the website they pay for?"

A posting by 'Steve' at the Fast Hosts Hell blog said that email passwords could be changed using the Mail Control Panel. Users need their current email address and password to log in.

"This was detailed in the email I received from Fasthosts a couple of days ago," he said.

Fasthosts was approached for comment but has yet to respond.