British stores accused of ripping off consumers

IRISH consumers are being fleeced by British chain stores whose prices here are almost 20% higher than they are in Britain, Fine Gael claimed yesterday.

The party carried out a survey of prices in five prominent retailers over the past week and found significant differences for British and Irish customers.

The results show a basket of five goods, randomly selected in Tesco in Ireland, was 43% dearer than in Britain, with one item a staggering 87% dearer.