Lotto bosses have informed shops to no longer sell them, to ensure the protection of players.

A Camelot spokesperson is quoted as saying: "Our decision to stop selling £10 scratchcards was based on player protection considerations.

"A part of the ongoing work we carry out is to ensure all of our players can play in a healthy and enjoyable way; we became aware that, unlike any of our other scratchcards, these particular games over-indexed among problem gamblers."

A Gambling Commission spokesperson also said: "After careful consideration of new evidence, both the Commission and the Licensee agreed all scratchcards at the £10 price point should be removed from sale until we are satisfied the risks posed to our duties are mitigated."