The investigation by trading standards officers found that one in six shops were side-stepping the law.

And other items sold to under-age children included National Lottery tickets, solvents and knives.

One 13-year-old girl managed to buy cigarettes at 21 shops

The survey has renewed calls for proof-of-age schemes - which are being considered by the government - to be made a legal requirement.

The worst area was the Isle of Wight, where 75% of traders were selling to under-age children, while the figure was 66.7% in the London borough of Bromley and 60% in Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

Volunteers aged between 10 and 14 were sold the restricted items in a range of shops.

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It is illegal to sell cigarettes, knives and Lottery tickets to anyone under 16 and to sell solvents to anyone under 18. There are also age restrictions on videos and some computer games.

The results of the Institute of Trading Standards Administration (ITSA) survey were announced in the run-up to National Consumer Week which begins on 18 October.

Call for tough action

The institute's chief executive, Allan Charlesworth, said fewer than a third of shops asked for a child's age and fewer than a fifth asked for proof of age.

He said the government should force local authorities to operate a proof-of-age scheme, and he called on magistrates to take tough action against offenders.

ITSA chairman David Sibbert said surveys had shown that children who use restricted products were at greater risk of long-term health problems, serious injury and even death.

He said calls for a proof of age scheme had support from the police, education authorities, social services and the business community.

The survey found that on the Isle of Wight, one 13-year-old girl managed to buy cigarettes at 21 out of 28 premises visited.

Shaken by findings

Kevin Law, a trading standards officer on the island, said the results were a surprise because it was thought shopkeepers in the area had a responsible approach.

He said: "The traders themselves have been shaken by this survey because, despite their precautions, staff obviously still sold to a 13-year-old girl."

In Wolverhampton, retailers sold restricted items to two 13-year-old boys in six out of 10 cases - the highest for any borough outside London.

A total of 59 trading standards departments in England and Wales took part in the survey, with 2,388 premises visited.

The children, who were able to buy age-restricted goods in 412 premises, were asked for their age in 725 shops and for further proof of age in 402 cases.