LLOYDS TSB has come under fire for sending debit cards to thousands of children as young as 11 without telling their parents.

The cards enable children to buy goods online without their family’s knowledge, and in one case, a 15-year old boy was able to buy cheap cigarettes, Viagra and a fake adult ID.

Previously, the bank only let under-16s have cards that could be used to withdraw cash from ATMs.However, it has recently mailed children offering them the Visa cards, which can be used to shop online.

MPs, consumer groups and parents were angered by the move. Vincent Cable, the Liberal Democrats Treasury spokesman, said: “Once banks have got someone hooked, they keep them for most of their lives. This is a way of seducing new customers, but a really irresponsible and dangerous way.

“You would have thought banks might have learned some lessons from their irresponsible lending on credit cards and mortgages. But now they seem to be compounding the problems by adopting the grossly irresponsible policy of encouraging youngsters to spend on these debit cards.”

Other banks offer Visa cards to under-16s, but insist they have better safeguards in place. Barclays, for example, said children must open current accounts in branches with their parents or guardian, who must sign if they want their child to receive a Visa-card.

Lloyds said its letter to children included a guide for parents, and that Visa could block children when they tried to use gambling sites or those containing ‘adult material’.

However, the parents of the 15-year-old Lloyds customer found out he had bought cigarettes from an overseas website only when they received a Customs demand for duty.

A spokesman for Lloyds said: “In line with industry practice, we have started to offer customers under 16 the option to have a debit card. Importantly, we do incorporate restrictions which are unique to Lloyds TSB. The debit card does not allow customers’ to go overdrawn and prevents purchases on websites with adult content or gambling sites.

“When we wrote to these customers we involved parents; including parental guides in initial correspondence and when the card arrives. The parent or guardian could request the card wasn’t issued or at any time block it immediately if it is mis-used.”