A reporter from the News & Star bought Viagra imitation pills through the Internet in a bid to expose a Carlisle barman selling them through an online auction site.

The paper not only purchased the Kamagra itself, but tracked the culprit for a month as he sold another 20 batches to others using the same process.

Its exclusive on the investigation, by Chris Musson, claimed the man was dealing in potentially deadly drugs from his Carlisle home.

The News & Star said health chiefs were trying to clamp down on the spiralling illegal trade of Viagra imitations and decided to illustrate the problem for its readers.

The paper set up a fake identity, name and address on eBay and bought 12 pills from the seller, who had also done business with users across the UK and Ireland.

It also revealed how he sold drinks measuring equipment, snooker chalk and boxes of cigarette lighters through the website.

It claims he was one of hundreds of dealers nation wide, falsely advertising the tablets as "legal Viagra".

The drugs and evidence have been made available to Cumbria police, where a spokesman said officers would investigate to see if any crime had been committed.

The Department of Health told the newspaper that people convicted of offences under medicines legislation could be fined an unlimited amount and risk a prison sentence of up to two years.

The auction site told the News & Star that it did not comment on individual users of its website.

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