A company claiming to produce the UK's first ethically sourced cigarettes is being refused accreditation from the Fairtrade Foundation.

The brand, 1st-nation, has been developed by Native American Mohawk Indians and is made on their Akwesasne reservation. All the tobacco is grown by independent farmers in Malawi and is purchased at a premium in order to provide funds for agricultural development.

No Fairtrade organisation in the world currently endorses a cigarette brand according to 1st-nation, which says it will nonetheless keep pushing for official accreditation.

"We do not have standards set up for tobacco products and have no plans to do so, so we cannot certify cigarette brands," a spokeswoman for the Fairtrade Foundation said.

The company hopes the brand will appeal to ethical shoppers as well as smokers who are looking for a cigarette with no additives.

1st-nation comes in two variants - full and smooth - rsp £5.44 for a packet of 20.