Beware the bootleg booze which could leave you blind - or worse

  • Health
Crooked or misspelled labels are among the 'tell-tale' danger signs Credit: Reuters

Italian vodka, suspicious sediment and antifreeze being sold as spirits are among the potential danger signs for shoppers looking to stock up on alcohol over the holidays.

Bargain-hunters keen to get their hands on a festive-sized load of discount drink are being warned to keep their eyes peeled for 'dangerous' bootleg booze.

Hundreds of bottles of counterfeit spirits, wine and beer have been found on shop shelves so far this year - often packed with unsafe levels of chemicals and toxins which are known to cause blindness, poisoning and in some cases even death.

Gangs of unscrupulous dealers have even been know to fill up authentic-looking bottles with antifreeze before flogging them to unsuspecting customers.

And with the Christmas and New Year period upon us, Trading Standards experts from the Local Government Association (LGA) - which represents almost 400 councils in England and Wales - have warned people to take extra care when stocking up, even from legitimate shops and pubs.

Counterfeit vodka seized in Durham Credit: Durham Constabulary

The LGA's Ann Lucas said the danger came from high levels of solvents such as isopropanol - most commonly found in industrial cleaning products - ethyl acetate and acetaldehyde.

Crooked or misspelled labels are among the 'tell-tale' danger signs Credit: Reuters

Among the most recent raids was carried out in Derbyshire, when around 20,000 empty bottles were found next to fake Smirnoff labels and a number of antifreeze containers in a £280,000 fake booze operation.

More than 300 bottles of counterfeit vodka were seized by police and Durham County Council trading standards team during raids on two properties last month, while counterfeit copies of Glen's, Activ and Tzar vodka as well as Highland Commissioner whisky were seized from raids across Northumberland in recent months, including the seizure of 36 bottles from one pub and more than 100 bottles from various shops.

And in August, a shopkeeper in Barry, Wales, was fined for selling vodka which, it emerged, he had bought off the back of a van.

How to spot the tell-tale signs of bootleg booze:

  • Misspellings, such as "Austrlia" in place of "Australia"

  • Wonky labels and poor-quality print

  • Flat printed labels where products are usually embossed or have holograms

  • Unusual places of origin, such as vodka from Italy

  • Vague or incomplete importer details

  • Bottles on display filled to different levels

  • Unfamiliar or unheard-of brands

  • Sediment in the liquid that should not be present