A Labour MP has denied falling asleep during an emergency Commons debate on the war in Afghanistan, although he admitted the pictures look "awful".

On Monday afternoon TV footage of appeared to show Stephen Pound nodding off while sat behind MP Denis MacShane, who was questioning the defence secretary about the deaths of two British soldiers.

His head bowed particularly when MacShane began quoting war poet Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum est.

Pound, a shadow Northern Ireland minister, said the angle of the cameras made him look like he was sleeping when he was in fact checking his phone.

The Labour MP said received a number of "aggressive" emails overnight accusing him of being disrespectful to British troops but insisted that was not the case.

Pound said: "I just don't understand what this is all about. I had actually been on my feet at 3.30pm, I was talking in local government questions, and I was on the radio at 3.50pm.

"The pictures are awful. I was actually looking down at my phone.

"I didn't fall asleep in the Chamber, particularly not in such a sensitive discussion as that. I was obviously looking at my phone.

"I feel dreadful. I have had letters calling me a complete murderous bastard, emails to my general account. It's fairly aggressive stuff.

"Never in a million years would I be disrespectful, particularly on an occasion like that."

You can judge for yourself whether you think Pound was sleepy or simply looking at his mobile by skipping to 6 min 52 sec here.

Loading Slideshow...

  • Bill Clinton falls asleep during MLK speech

    See 0:45 for the former President seamlessly going from sleeping to approving nod.

  • Ken Clarke is too comfortable

    Ken Clarke falling asleep in Parliament.

  • Sleepy Ministers at Holyrood

    Transport and Infrastructure Ministers Keith Brown and Kenny Gibson fighting off the Sandman

  • Two Chinese politicians

    These Chinese parliamentarians have had enough

  • Lots of Chinese politicians

    This must have been an incredibly, incredibly boring session

  • Canadian MP No. 1

  • Canadian MP No. 2

  • Aussie MPs' bad behaviour

    Australian MP falls asleep, with extra bonus nose-picking footage

  • Stephen Pound MP

    Pound denies nodding off on Tuesday, but admitted the pictures looked awful...

  • Gordon Brown at the UN

    This is most likely NOT Gordon Brown asleep in Parliament, but still.

  • And because you made it this far...

    Michael Gove falling over. In slow-motion.