CHILDREN'S toy and designer sports wear adverts should be banned from daytime TV says a Bolton MP.

David Crausby is backing a campaign to ban the adverts until after the 9pm watershed when most young children have gone to bed.

And the Bolton North East MP called on Media Minister Chris Smith to stop advertisers trying to exploit youngsters.

Some countries have stopped adverts aimed at children altogether but Mr Crausby does not favour a complete ban.

But he said: "Early evening and Saturday morning children's programmes are bombarded with adverts for expensive toys and sports wear items during every commercial break.

"Some children after being brainwashed with these repeated adverts often proceed to put their parents under pressure to buy these products and in the case of sports wear it has usually got to be designer labels.

"I know from experience that children have a knack of being able to make you feel as though you are the worst parents in the world if they do not get what they want."

Mr Crausby decided to write to Mr Smith after a number of constituents asked him to support a campaign by Friends of the Earth.

The pressure group say advertisers are playing on children's credulity to create a spending culture that is bad for parents' pockets and the environment.

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