The MouseMaster trap, invented by Laois man DJ Doheny, won a bronze medal in the International Category at the British Invention Show in 2004. However, last week ICABS came out against the trap, saying it is cruel and unlawful under the Wildlife Act 1976.

"We are asking members of the public to help identify the shops where these cruel traps are being sold, " said ICABS spokeswoman, Aideen Yourell. "If you spot one of these traps in your local hardware store or co-op shop, please notify the National Parks and Wildlife Service immediately."

The MouseMaster consists of a bucket of water, a ramp and a flaptrap. The mouse walks up the ramp before stepping on a platform where a piece of cheese is dangling from a hook. As it approaches the cheese, its weight causes the platform to tilt, sending the mouse to a watery grave.

Doheny, who designed the trap after an infestation at his dairy farm, said he has not been approached directly by anyone from the wildlife services and is not convinced the trap is illegal.

"This is the first I have heard of it and I don't see how it is any crueller than mouse poison or mouse traps, which don't usually kill the mouse instantly, " he said. "It's safer for when there's children around and it prevents any smell."

The bucket need not be filled with water, he added, and can be used to simply catch mice. "It hasn't exactly sold hundreds since we won the award, " he said. "But it's popular in industrial workplaces."