A Raynes Park shop is defying a bizarre European ban which forbids the sale of small organic peaches.

The Co-op store, in Coombe Lane, is ignoring EU regulation 2335/99, which states a peach is not a peach unless it has a minimum diameter of 56mm.

Shops have not been allowed to sell the small peaches since Monday, as the EU tries to introduce common standards across Europe.

But the Raynes Park store intends to test customer support against the ban by selling the fruit while stocks last.

The supermarket says the ban is not in the consumers interest and will seriously affect organic farmers.

Spokesman for the Raynes Park store Peter Rowley said: Organic food already costs more to produce because yields are lower and labour costs are higher. If farmers cant sell these peaches because they are too small, then this will only drive prices upwards.

Posters have been put up around the store with messages such as Im small and perfectly formed, but legally you cant buy me.

In a bizarre twist, sales of the peaches will actually become legal again on October 31 although Co-op spokesman Craig Noonan said he was unsure why this was.

Its the time when peaches go out of season in Europe, so I think because you cant buy them anymore they cease to be illegal.