Fake gifts warning to Yorkshire shoppers (From Ilkley Gazette)
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Fake gifts warning to Yorkshire shoppers
10:00am Monday 10th December 2012 in Local news
West Yorkshire Trading Standards divisional manager, Dave Lodge, pictured with a counterfeit bottle of vodka being sold illegally, that is also a danger to people's health
Christmas shoppers have been warned to be on the alert for fake goods after a haul of counterfeit iPhones, watches and Viagra tablets was seized at Leeds-Bradford Airport.
The goods were discovered on a flight from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, West Yorkshire Trading Standards say they have seized goods including diluted vodka and James Bond blockbusters in recent weeks.
Graham Hebblethwaite, of West Yorkshire Trading Standards, said Christmas was a prime time for the counterfeit market.
“It is a time to be cautious,” he said. “We have had lots of seizures of fake vodka. Some of these are watered down and of very low strength, others are forms of industrial alcohol, like methanol or chloroform. We have usually found them in independent off-licences who have not done the proper checks.” He said the most likely source of fake goods, like watches and perfume, these days was the internet.
Mr Hebblethwaite said: “If you are ordering from big-name companies you will be dealing with the proper stuff. If you want to buy a genuine product, source it locally through an established retail outlet.”
