IVORY is being sold illegally in Bournemouth and the New Forest, a report claims.

Antique dealers in both areas are flouting laws intended to protect elephants from being slaughtered for their tusks, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw).

Researchers claim the saleswoman in one Bournemouth shop offered to break the law by filling in a receipt claiming ivory dated from the 19th century.

The report, titled Elephants on the High Street, says: "On the basis of Ifaw's investigation, most ivory sold in antique shops, fairs, auctions and arts centres in the UK is being sold illegally."

Researchers visited five shops in Bournemouth and said several were selling ivory cutlery handles and netsuke - ivory carvings used as a toggle on kimono sashes.

Asked about one netsuke, the saleswoman said she thought it was 19th century but there was no way of knowing for sure. She claimed only antique ivory was now available.

In a New Forest town, resear-chers found a saleswoman offer-ing wood carvings of elephant heads, each with ivory tusks about two inches long. Asked if there would be a problem taking them to the US, she said she would write out a receipt to say they were antiques and that it "shouldn't be a problem" to get them through Customs.