The Conservative party in Edinburgh has been accused of trying to dupe the public into thinking a thrift shop it runs to raise funds for the party is in actual fact a charity shop.

Situated on Gilmore Place in the Tollcross area of the city the former beauty salon sells second hand clothes, books and bric-a-brac – just like any charity shop would.

The only indication that the shop is for the Tory party and not a charity is an A4 piece of paper pinned up behind the counter which has “Edinburgh Conservative Shop” handwritten on it.

The pop-up shop, rented by the Edinburgh Conservative Association has been running for four weeks and has another four weeks left of its lease but over the last few days hundreds of people have taken to social media to complain about it.

Complaints have included that it will avert money from real charity shops with some describing it as “disingenuous” and “sleekit”.

Others have however defended the shop saying it still provides a valuable service for the needy.

It’s understood on Monday Trading Standards officers visited the shop to speak with volunteers and plan to visit again today.

A statement from the City of Edinburgh Council said: “Council officers will be visiting the premises to offer advice on compliance with regulatory requirements.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Conservatives defended the shop saying the shop has been run for years.

He added: “No-one has been deceived into thinking this is raising money for something it’s not.

“The role of this shop, which has been a fixture in Edinburgh for years, is to legitimately raise funds for the Scottish Conservative and Unionist party.”