People urged to avoid dangerous counterfeit alcohol

Central
West Midlands
Burton on Trent
chrismas
Thursday 15 December 2016 at 5:57pm

People are being urged to stay safe during the festive season by avoiding dangerous counterfeit alcohol.Staffordshire County Council has been carrying out an ongoing operation to stamp out counterfeit alcohol sales using Government funding awarded through the Proceeds of Crime Act in recognition of its work.

There have been a number of prosecutions and licence reviews and the largest fine handed out was £10,000. The most recent seizure was from a shop in Burton earlier this month.Police say counterfeit alcohol often contains potentially hazardous levels of methanol. Consumption of methanol can cause vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision and in extreme cases blindness.Tell-tale signs of counterfeit alcohol include:

Unfamiliar or unheard of brands
Suspect labelling which may not be aligned straight or have spelling mistakes
Different fill levels in bottles of the same brand
Sediment in the liquid which should not be present

Staffordshire County Council’s communities leader Gill Heath said:

Anyone with information about the sale of counterfeit alcohol in Staffordshire can call the Fight the Fakes hotline on 01785 330356 or visit www.staffordshire.gov.uk/fakes