Charity shops are being flooded with poor-quality clothes that they have to turn away, because of fast fashion, the head of the environment select committee has said.

Mary Creagh, Labour MP and chair of the Environmental Audit Committee said the fashion industry is failing to cut waste, leading to tons of clothes clogging up landfills.

She explained: "the whole industry is based on us buying more than we need, and not valuing an item of clothing when it comes to the end of its life."

The MP said that the rise of fast fashion, where t-shirts are sold for just £2 and dresses for £5, means clothes are worn once then thrown away, where they end up in landfill.

Mrs Creagh told The Telegraph: "Charity shops can't be the dumping ground for the high street's dirty little secret - much of what they take back they can't sell because of the quality and it's very difficult to recycle the fibres.

"They are turning it away as they can't sell it so fabric either goes to Europe or the developing world. It's disrupting markets in other countries."

A spokeswoman from Oxfam said: "Our shops tell they have seen an increase in clothing donations in the past five years, and this is probably due to fast fashion. But we believe Oxfam actually slows down fast fashion in the UK because clothes donated to us are given a second chance to be sold. We're lucky to receive all sorts of fashion including plenty of high quality garments too."