Essex Trading Standards warn over counterfeit alcohol

Shoppers and businesses in Essex have been warned about buying cheap alcohol after dozens of bottles of fake drinks were seized in the county.

Trading Standards officers said they had recently seized about 90 bottles of fake vodka and wine in Colchester and Witham.

They said the items were either fake brands, such as Glen Vodka, or products that did not contain enough alcohol.

The seized drinks were not believed to pose a threat to public health.

Essex Trading Standards said shops and off-licences should only buy from reputable wholesalers, rather than "man in van discounts".

'Unusual taste'

The Conservative county councillor responsible for trading standards, Roger Walters, said people should also be wary of "too good to be true" deals.

He said: "A couple of the drinks that have been found are called 'Drop Vodka' and 'Arctic Ice Vodka', which nobody knows where they're made or what's in them.

"They've been sent away for analysis and they contain chemicals and alcohol, but are not proper vodka."

He said the fake products had come to light when people had complained they had an unusual taste.