MP 'disapproves of son who sells drug'

Louise Ellman was distancing herself from her son, Sean, 37, after a reporter allegedly bought the substance from a shop he is involved with in the North West of England.

Mrs Ellman, the Labour MP for Liverpool's Riverside constituency, was not available for comment, but a source close to her said: "Sean is 37 years old and takes his own decisions.

"Louise disapproves and it has nothing to do with her. It is a personal issue and doesn't have any bearing on the upcoming election. He is a grown man."

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) is considering a ban on mephedrone, also known as M-Cat or Miaow Miaow, after it was linked to a number of deaths.

Mr Ellman, of Withington, Manchester, is listed at Companies House as one of four directors of Dr Hermans, which has stores across the North West.

He was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Gordon Brown pledged to take "immediate action" if the ACMD does recommend outlawing the "evil" party drug.

Professor Les Iversen, who chairs the ACMD, has indicated that

mephedrone is likely to be made a Class B drug.

Police have said 24-year-old Lois Waters in the village of Norton, North Yorkshire, whose body was discovered on Tuesday, had taken mephedrone.

The drug has also been linked to the deaths of Jordan Kiltie, 19, in Ayr, Joslyne Cockburn, 18, of Newcastle upon Tyne, and Louis Wainwright, 18, and Nicholas Smith, 19, in the Scunthorpe area.

York MP Hugh Bayley has signed a parliamentary motion calling on the Government to bring forward a review of mephedrone. He said: "It is clear that substances such as mephedrone pose a serious health threat..."