West End alert over fake Christmas bargains

Bogus traders who swamp the West End with fake designer goods are being targeted in the run-up to Christmas.

Oxford Street shoppers are being warned today that "bargain" presents found on market stalls and in the shops may not be quite what they seem.

Copies of high-quality brand perfumes such as Chanel, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger are sold for about ?10 a bottle but tests reveal the fakes are heavily diluted and the scent wears off in minutes. The contents have even been found to cause allergic skin reactions in some people.

Hundreds of fake Louis Vuitton handbags and purses have also been seized by Westminster council's trading standards team, which believes the illegal traders can make as much as ?1,000 a day in the busy shopping period leading up to Christmas. A council spokesman said: " Most of the copies can be immediately identified as counterfeit because they are badly made and poor quality.

"We have a strict confiscation policy when dealing with illegal traders, and destroy the goods."

Meanwhile, parents are being

told to watch out for toys which have not undergone safety checks.

Among those that have been seized in the West End are children's guns that fire pellets at high speed and could cause serious injuries.

Westminster's trading standards team is warning shoppers to be aware of the most common scams during Christmas.

Councillor Danny Chalkley said: "With the amount of money being spent on presents it is not surprising that the unscrupulous try to scam people out of money on dodgy goods and services.

"Cheap perfume may be easy on the pocket but will certainly not be good for the skin, while girlfriends and wives will not appreciate partners who bring home handbags that fall apart after a night out."