The UK is to opt out of planned European Commission rules on so-called "legal highs".

Home Office minister Norman Baker said joining the scheme would "fetter" attempts to ban new drugs coming on to the market. But he said this did not "diminish our commitment" to tackling the problem.

Legal highs, officially known as psychoactive substances, are synthetic drugs which can be bought online and sometimes in shops.

They are often created in laboratories in the Far East and are rushed to European and other markets before authorities have time to ban them.....