Shrewsbury shopkeepers are being deliberately “entrapped” by county Trading Standards officials over the sale of booze and cigarettes to people under 18, a county MP has claimed.

Shrewsbury MP Daniel Kawczynski said he had been approached by a delegation of traders in the town who claimed they were being deliberately and unfairly targeted by the service.

The Tory MP has vowed to investigate and will speak to Shropshire’s new public protection department to discuss the concerns of the shopkeepers.

Mr Kawczynski said: “I am extremely concerned about the Trading Standards department which is going around Shrewsbury sending relatively young people in to buy cigarettes and alcohol.

“In one case somebody was accidentally sold some cigarettes and the girl hadn’t been working in the shop for very long. The shopkeeper was fined £1,500.”

Mr Kawczynski said the shopkeeper had been operating in the town for more than 20 years with no problems and would not knowingly allow his staff to sell prohibited goods to minors.

He said: “Trading Standards are deliberately trying to entrap people by sending someone under 18 in. It’s re- grettable if someone who has not been working for ve- ry long and not experienced makes a mistake and it’s as a result of entrapment.

“The police and others aren’t allowed to entrap yet Trading Standards seems to have the power.”

Mr Kawczynski said he supported tight laws to prevent alcohol and cigarettes being sold to children, but was concerned about the service’s methods.

Shropshire Council has merged Trading Standards into the Public Protection department. Council leader Malcolm Pate said it was the responsibility of the shopkeepers to ensure they met requirements under the law.

He said: “If they weren’t selling booze and cigarettes to people under age then they wouldn’t be prosecu- ted. It is the responsibility of the shopkeeper to obey the law and to ensure that the staff are properly trained.”