THE mother of a boy who swapped his £60 Gameboy for ten Pokmon cards as a present to his brother is appealing for its return.

Trish Rowling, 35, of Bellhouse Way, Foxwood, York, revealed the swap as a fresh example of the measures children are taking in their quest to own all 151 cards.

Her son, Kurt Neil, nine, swapped the toy he had received as a ninth birthday present from his grandmother for ten cards depicting the fantasy monsters from the Japanese craze.

Trish said: "He'd given these Pokmon cards to his brother, Dominic, who's six and he was really excited because he didn't have any of his own."

Trish has now confiscated the cards, which cost £2.99 for a pack of 11 but can fetch up to £25 each on the playground black market.

Kurt's school, Woodthorpe Primary, is among several in York which have banned them.

Trish said: "I don't even know who the little boy is that he swapped it with, just that his name's Michael.

"Kurt's been mad keen on the craze since it first came out and he's always swapping the cards but I couldn't believe that he'd swapped his Gameboy.

"I'm a bit fed up with it all and I've taken them off him and threatened to rip them up."

Trish was not surprised when she read the Evening Press story about a 13-year-old boy who was caught stealing cards from a supermarket.

"It's a really bad craze with children," she said.

She is appealing for the mother of the boy who has Kurt's Gameboy to get in touch with the Evening Press so the toy can be returned.

She said: "I don't blame the little boy at all - it's Kurt's fault."

Do you have a Pokmon nightmare story? Contact Rebecca Gilbert on 01904 653051