A EURO MP has demanded an inquiry after outraged shop staff complained asylum seekers were spending their free goods vouchers on Pokemon cards.
Workers at the C&A store in Northumberland Street, Newcastle, were "disgusted" at having to hand over the cards in exchange for the vouchers. But Home Office rules mean they are powerless to stop the exchanges and cannot insist the vouchers are used to buy essentials.
Martin Callanan, Tory Euro MP for the North-East, has called for a change in the law. He insists the vouchers, paid for by the taxpayer, should only be used for clothing, food and other vital goods.
A member of staff at C&A said: "I was disgusted by it, but we had to go along with it. Pokemon cards are all the rage at the moment among kids but I would have thought asylum seekers had more to worry about."
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