Exactly what error messages are you getting when trying to access your email, specifically if you access it via the mail2.virginmedia.com webpage, and try to log in, do you get the generic ‘your mailbox is not available at the moment’ message?
And who told you that the email system was down, ‘for maintenance’? Because it isn’t.
Lastly, what you describe does sound very much as if, at least, your email account has been compromised and taken over by others. I would suggest that you follow the forgotten password route in the above link, answer the security questions and change the password to something else and not used on any other site.
