Episode 12

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0:00:02 > 0:00:06Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.

0:00:06 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.

0:00:09 > 0:00:11Police!

0:00:19 > 0:00:23- Get down! Get down! - Get on the floor, now!

0:00:23 > 0:00:25Put your hands behind your back now!

0:00:25 > 0:00:28Here at the Fake Britain house, things might look familiar,

0:00:28 > 0:00:33but don't be taken in because this is a house that's filled with fakes.

0:00:33 > 0:00:36In this series, I'll be revealing the counterfeits,

0:00:36 > 0:00:40copies and cons that are flooding the market, fooling the public,

0:00:40 > 0:00:44making money for the criminals and maybe even putting you in danger.

0:00:44 > 0:00:48We'll be investigating those fraudsters who are cashing in by

0:00:48 > 0:00:50selling us something that isn't real

0:00:50 > 0:00:54and we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.

0:00:56 > 0:00:59Today on Fake Britain, the counterfeit shampoo hitting

0:00:59 > 0:01:03our high streets and the damage it can cause to those who use it.

0:01:05 > 0:01:09You'd itch so vigorously, it would make a certain patch bleed.

0:01:09 > 0:01:12We reveal the fake scanners that have

0:01:12 > 0:01:15infiltrated Britain's security industry.

0:01:15 > 0:01:18This will be the difference between life and death in some cases.

0:01:18 > 0:01:22And the counterfeit candles burning a hole in your pocket.

0:01:22 > 0:01:27They spat and they crackled. They were dangerous.

0:01:33 > 0:01:36The UK hair care industry is big business.

0:01:36 > 0:01:39We're spending nearly £1.5 billion a year,

0:01:39 > 0:01:41looking after our crowning glories.

0:01:41 > 0:01:44But if you were spending your money on these products,

0:01:44 > 0:01:46that promised to hydrate, clean,

0:01:46 > 0:01:50make your hair glossy or control dandruff, well, you'd be wasting it.

0:01:50 > 0:01:54Every single one is a flaky fake. And that's not all.

0:01:54 > 0:01:57As well as parting with your cash for a counterfeit,

0:01:57 > 0:01:59there could be worse to come.

0:02:01 > 0:02:03One of Britain's biggest

0:02:03 > 0:02:07and best selling shampoo brands is Head & Shoulders.

0:02:07 > 0:02:11Since it hit the shelves in 1961...

0:02:11 > 0:02:14The most effective dandruff shampoo you can buy.

0:02:14 > 0:02:19..this famous anti-dandruff treatment has ranked among the UK's top five

0:02:19 > 0:02:21hair products.

0:02:21 > 0:02:25But now, it seems the fakers want to soak up some of the action.

0:02:26 > 0:02:29Leanne McLean from Cornwall Trading Standards

0:02:29 > 0:02:32is on the trail of suspected counterfeit Head & Shoulders.

0:02:34 > 0:02:37The previous day, they made spot checks on local stores

0:02:37 > 0:02:40and they may have landed some fakes.

0:02:41 > 0:02:45Yesterday, we carried out a seizure at two stores, one in Falmouth,

0:02:45 > 0:02:49one in Liskeard. And that was Devon Trading Standards,

0:02:49 > 0:02:53there's another shop on their patch which I've asked them

0:02:53 > 0:02:57to go in to and just make sure all the products are off sale.

0:02:57 > 0:03:01The stores in question belong to one of the south west's largest

0:03:01 > 0:03:04discount chains, Trago Mills.

0:03:04 > 0:03:05The previous day,

0:03:05 > 0:03:09Trading Standards seized around 160 bottles of suspected

0:03:09 > 0:03:11counterfeit Head & Shoulders from two stores,

0:03:11 > 0:03:14including this one in picturesque Falmouth.

0:03:17 > 0:03:21So, today, with colleague Ben, Leanne's making spot-check

0:03:21 > 0:03:24purchases at other discount shops in the area.

0:03:24 > 0:03:28They're concerned that other bargain outlets could be using

0:03:28 > 0:03:29the same supplier.

0:03:29 > 0:03:31We had a complaint about a lady

0:03:31 > 0:03:34who purchased some Head & Shoulders shampoo,

0:03:34 > 0:03:38so we're specifically today looking for any Head & Shoulders

0:03:38 > 0:03:41products or any other cosmetic products that look suspect

0:03:41 > 0:03:45and if we find any, then we will seize them from the shelves

0:03:45 > 0:03:48and send them off for further analysis.

0:03:50 > 0:03:53The person who sparked off the investigation was Sharon,

0:03:53 > 0:03:56when she bought what she thought was some bargain priced

0:03:56 > 0:03:59Head & Shoulders from another discount chain,

0:03:59 > 0:04:01the 99p Store in St Austell.

0:04:04 > 0:04:07I'd been using Head & Shoulders for four years previously

0:04:07 > 0:04:11and obviously when the 99p Stores opened, bargain.

0:04:13 > 0:04:15But instead of fighting dandruff,

0:04:15 > 0:04:18Sharon's Head & Shoulders seemed to do the exact opposite.

0:04:19 > 0:04:21After the third use,

0:04:21 > 0:04:27I kind of noticed that I was getting dandruff and that after like a day

0:04:27 > 0:04:31or so, it would be itchy and then it started to get extremely sore.

0:04:33 > 0:04:36After using it again for...

0:04:36 > 0:04:39I think it was about two weeks,

0:04:39 > 0:04:41it still wasn't any better.

0:04:41 > 0:04:44Sharon seemed to have an allergic reaction to the Head & Shoulders

0:04:44 > 0:04:47brand she'd always loved and trusted.

0:04:49 > 0:04:53But the symptoms that came next were a real cause for concern.

0:04:53 > 0:04:58You'd itch so vigorously, it would make a certain patch bleed.

0:04:59 > 0:05:02I was quite angry

0:05:02 > 0:05:07to think that something that I'm paying my money for is

0:05:07 > 0:05:08making me sore.

0:05:08 > 0:05:11I kind of figured then that something wasn't right with it

0:05:11 > 0:05:15and decided to e-mail the 99p Store.

0:05:16 > 0:05:20I got back quite a short reply, just to say,

0:05:20 > 0:05:22"please pass along the barcodes".

0:05:22 > 0:05:26So I did that and I never heard anything back at all.

0:05:26 > 0:05:28Nothing whatsoever.

0:05:29 > 0:05:32It was at this point that Sharon turned to Trading Standards.

0:05:32 > 0:05:36They collected two suspect bottles she'd bought and sent them

0:05:36 > 0:05:38off for analysis.

0:05:39 > 0:05:43Weeks later, it was confirmed - she'd bought counterfeits.

0:05:47 > 0:05:50With today's spot purchases completed,

0:05:50 > 0:05:54Trading Standards Officers Leanne and Ben head back to base.

0:05:55 > 0:05:58Here, they bag up the samples they've taken from three major

0:05:58 > 0:06:01discount stores in the last two days.

0:06:02 > 0:06:06They will be sent off to the lab for chemical analysis as well,

0:06:06 > 0:06:09to confirm 100% as to whether they are genuine or counterfeit products.

0:06:09 > 0:06:12We should get that back in about a week

0:06:12 > 0:06:15and that should confirm or deny our suspicions.

0:06:17 > 0:06:20Later, Cornwall Trading Standards reveal their results.

0:06:21 > 0:06:24And Fake Britain reveals exactly what's in the bottle.

0:06:24 > 0:06:27What you're essentially putting on to your face and skin

0:06:27 > 0:06:30and that of your family and loved ones is junk.

0:06:36 > 0:06:38We've all seen things like these.

0:06:38 > 0:06:42They're used to scan us at airports, sports events and music concerts,

0:06:42 > 0:06:46checking to see we're not carrying something we shouldn't.

0:06:46 > 0:06:48Safety and security is a serious business

0:06:48 > 0:06:51and that's what these scanners are designed to ensure,

0:06:51 > 0:06:55so you may be alarmed to discover that while this one is real... BUZZER

0:06:55 > 0:06:58this almost identical one is a fake.

0:06:58 > 0:06:59BEEP

0:06:59 > 0:07:03These are on sale right now and they could be putting lives at risk.

0:07:06 > 0:07:08Security is big business.

0:07:08 > 0:07:10The global industry for services

0:07:10 > 0:07:16and devices is predicted to rise to £88 billion by 2019.

0:07:17 > 0:07:20Part of any security team's arsenal

0:07:20 > 0:07:23is one of these metal detecting wands.

0:07:23 > 0:07:26The first of these was designed for the Los Angeles Olympic Games

0:07:26 > 0:07:28in 1984 and it's been used in

0:07:28 > 0:07:31numerous security settings ever since.

0:07:35 > 0:07:39But, now, the fakers have got their eye on this product's success.

0:07:39 > 0:07:42They're doing exact copies and when I say exact,

0:07:42 > 0:07:44they are so close, you really cannot tell the difference.

0:07:44 > 0:07:47We can't tell the difference, until we, either turn them on,

0:07:47 > 0:07:49or look inside them.

0:07:49 > 0:07:54We've had confirmed fake ones being used in music festivals,

0:07:54 > 0:07:59erm, in warehouses, erm, blue-chip companies, security firms.

0:08:01 > 0:08:05Now, that's a potential time bomb, because we now have lots

0:08:05 > 0:08:09and lots of fake items out there being used by professionals

0:08:09 > 0:08:13and they have no idea they're using a fake super scanner.

0:08:14 > 0:08:17Is seems most of the counterfeits are being sold online

0:08:17 > 0:08:21and Nigel is going to show us how clever the fakers have been.

0:08:24 > 0:08:31Here we have the fake super scanner and also a genuine super scanner

0:08:31 > 0:08:35and, as you can see, the construction, extremely similar.

0:08:35 > 0:08:38Every tiny little detail is copied.

0:08:38 > 0:08:40When you look very closely, though, you can

0:08:40 > 0:08:44tell everything is creaking and the whole thing is loose.

0:08:44 > 0:08:48How good is the fake at detecting a metallic object that could do

0:08:48 > 0:08:50some damage, like this knife?

0:08:50 > 0:08:54A genuine super scanner, you can see, we are picking it up,

0:08:54 > 0:08:56a good 40, 50 cm away.

0:08:59 > 0:09:07If we now take the fake unit, at 40, 50 cm, nothing, absolutely nothing.

0:09:07 > 0:09:11It's only when we get closer, we are now just getting a signal.

0:09:11 > 0:09:15Its performance is extremely poor, by comparison.

0:09:15 > 0:09:20You're not going to pick up this object on a lot of occasions.

0:09:20 > 0:09:24Well, that's not good enough. It's got to pick it up every single time.

0:09:24 > 0:09:27Fake Britain decided to test this counterfeit security

0:09:27 > 0:09:28scanner in London.

0:09:28 > 0:09:32In the last year, there have been 11,000 knife-related offences

0:09:32 > 0:09:35and just over 1,500 firearms incidents in the city.

0:09:38 > 0:09:41Like many of the capital's late-night music venues,

0:09:41 > 0:09:44Hootananny's takes security very seriously.

0:09:46 > 0:09:49To help in this battle to keep their customers safe,

0:09:49 > 0:09:52they use genuine security wands.

0:09:52 > 0:09:55So, to put the fake security wand to the test, we'll plant

0:09:55 > 0:10:00some potentially dangerous objects on our lucky target, Matt.

0:10:00 > 0:10:04Later on, he'll visit Hootananny's with a group of friends.

0:10:04 > 0:10:08We have a Swiss Army penknife, which is not classed as an offensive

0:10:08 > 0:10:11weapon, however, could inflict a lot of damage

0:10:11 > 0:10:13in a number of different ways.

0:10:13 > 0:10:16First up, Nigel puts the knife in place.

0:10:19 > 0:10:20That's perfect.

0:10:23 > 0:10:26Next up, he has a replica gun.

0:10:26 > 0:10:29It is an internationally recognised test piece

0:10:29 > 0:10:31for the security industry.

0:10:31 > 0:10:35It's an imitation single-shot gun.

0:10:37 > 0:10:41Weapons in place, next stop for our target is the venue.

0:10:43 > 0:10:48Will the fake pass our security test and detect the weapons?

0:10:48 > 0:10:52Nigel hands over the fake security wand to the experienced door staff.

0:10:52 > 0:10:56They haven't been told whether they're using the counterfeit,

0:10:56 > 0:10:57or the genuine product.

0:10:59 > 0:11:02He sits nearby to monitor the fake's performance.

0:11:04 > 0:11:08Meanwhile, Matt and his pals arrive in line.

0:11:08 > 0:11:10I'm surprised at the distance, though.

0:11:10 > 0:11:12He's getting very, very close to the body.

0:11:12 > 0:11:16So the fake has to be used closer to the body than normal.

0:11:16 > 0:11:18I can only presume he's having to do this

0:11:18 > 0:11:22because the performance is nowhere near as good as the genuine item.

0:11:24 > 0:11:27Now it's time for our target, Matt, with his concealed weapons.

0:11:31 > 0:11:33BEEPING

0:11:33 > 0:11:34That's his belt.

0:11:34 > 0:11:37The fake seems to be picking up large objects.

0:11:37 > 0:11:38Phone.

0:11:40 > 0:11:43But not, so far, the knife or the gun.

0:11:43 > 0:11:45BEEPING

0:11:45 > 0:11:49I think he might be picking up the shoelace eyelets.

0:11:49 > 0:11:51Seems like the fake's found something.

0:11:51 > 0:11:53The shoelace eyelets are aluminium.

0:11:53 > 0:11:58And inadvertently, it's actually led him to the fake gun.

0:12:00 > 0:12:03The counterfeit scanner's uncovered Matt's replica gun,

0:12:03 > 0:12:04but not the knife.

0:12:07 > 0:12:09That's a serious breach of security.

0:12:09 > 0:12:12Potentially, you've got somebody walking around with a knife

0:12:12 > 0:12:13in a nightclub. Not good.

0:12:13 > 0:12:15And extremely worrying.

0:12:15 > 0:12:18But before Matt can do any real damage,

0:12:18 > 0:12:20the real superscanner's brought out

0:12:20 > 0:12:22to reveal what he's really hiding.

0:12:25 > 0:12:26BEEP

0:12:26 > 0:12:28LONG BEEP

0:12:28 > 0:12:31Here we go. Ooh, straight to it.

0:12:31 > 0:12:33Ha.

0:12:33 > 0:12:34Yeah, there we go.

0:12:36 > 0:12:40That was a huge, huge signal which you could hardly miss.

0:12:40 > 0:12:42He's found it, he's got it.

0:12:44 > 0:12:47This could be the difference between life and death in some cases.

0:12:47 > 0:12:51The difference between picking up an offensive weapon, potentially

0:12:51 > 0:12:55a gun, a knife, a CS gas canister, or not picking it up at all.

0:12:55 > 0:12:58And that's... The potential for that is quite serious.

0:13:07 > 0:13:10Earlier, we saw Cornwall Trading Standards on the trail of fake

0:13:10 > 0:13:15Head & Shoulders shampoo for sale in discount chains.

0:13:15 > 0:13:18Trading Standards sent off samples of suspected fakes.

0:13:18 > 0:13:22Now they have the results back from the manufacturer.

0:13:22 > 0:13:26We sent off a representative sample of 14 bottles.

0:13:26 > 0:13:28Seven of those came back as being counterfeit,

0:13:28 > 0:13:29which is a 50% fail rate,

0:13:29 > 0:13:32which I think shows the scale of the problem we have here

0:13:32 > 0:13:33with counterfeit cosmetic products.

0:13:33 > 0:13:36But it's the quality of the counterfeit packaging

0:13:36 > 0:13:38that's appalled Cornwall Trading Standards.

0:13:38 > 0:13:43This makes it difficult for shoppers and the shops to spot the fakes.

0:13:44 > 0:13:47They are extremely good counterfeits.

0:13:47 > 0:13:49They look almost identical to the real thing.

0:13:49 > 0:13:53It's not just one small part of the Head & Shoulders

0:13:53 > 0:13:56set of shampoos, it's every different type

0:13:56 > 0:14:00they are managing to counterfeit now and counterfeit very effectively.

0:14:00 > 0:14:06Samples of the 160 bottles seized from local discount chain Trago Mills

0:14:06 > 0:14:10all turned out to be counterfeit, but Trading Standards sympathise

0:14:10 > 0:14:15with the difficulties that even some retailers have in spotting the fakes.

0:14:16 > 0:14:20In this instance, the copies were so incredibly good,

0:14:20 > 0:14:22the store in our opinion had done everything that it could

0:14:22 > 0:14:25to make sure that it wasn't selling counterfeits and as such,

0:14:25 > 0:14:28we have closed the investigation against the store that sold it

0:14:28 > 0:14:31by way of providing them with advice

0:14:31 > 0:14:34on how to potentially spot counterfeits in the future.

0:14:35 > 0:14:38Trago Mills told us they've been...

0:14:44 > 0:14:45They say...

0:14:53 > 0:14:54They say...

0:15:04 > 0:15:06But because of the danger to public health,

0:15:06 > 0:15:10the Cornwall Trading Standards investigation remains wide open

0:15:10 > 0:15:12to find out who supplied the retailers

0:15:12 > 0:15:15with the counterfeit products in the first place.

0:15:15 > 0:15:18Even though these bottles look convincing on the outside,

0:15:18 > 0:15:22the manufacturer, Procter & Gamble, has sent Leanne

0:15:22 > 0:15:26and her team some data about what could be lurking on the inside.

0:15:28 > 0:15:31With this particular counterfeit batch of Head & Shoulders shampoo,

0:15:31 > 0:15:35they've told us there could be irritation to your breathing,

0:15:35 > 0:15:37it could be harmful if you swallow any of the product,

0:15:37 > 0:15:40it could be irritating to your skin...

0:15:40 > 0:15:43They say here, "a risk of serious damage to your eyes."

0:15:43 > 0:15:46They've also said it's potentially toxic to wildlife

0:15:46 > 0:15:48should it make it into any river courses.

0:15:48 > 0:15:49It's quite a serious issue, this.

0:15:49 > 0:15:53This isn't just a cheap product that you're paying too much for.

0:15:53 > 0:15:55This could cause you serious damage

0:15:55 > 0:15:57and serious health implications for the rest of your life.

0:15:57 > 0:16:00But it's not just shoppers in Cornwall

0:16:00 > 0:16:02who've risked their health by using fake shampoo.

0:16:07 > 0:16:09Our investigation takes us across the Irish Sea,

0:16:09 > 0:16:12500 miles away to Antrim in Northern Ireland.

0:16:14 > 0:16:17It was at this B&M store ten months previously,

0:16:17 > 0:16:21that Nicole Patterson bought a bottle of Head & Shoulders.

0:16:21 > 0:16:26She used it to wash the hair of her five-year-old daughter, Imogen.

0:16:26 > 0:16:27The next day after using it,

0:16:27 > 0:16:31it looked like there were particles of paint in her hair.

0:16:33 > 0:16:36It wasn't until the second time that there were instant speckles

0:16:36 > 0:16:37over her hair.

0:16:38 > 0:16:41Afterwards, Imogen ended up with the scalp of her head

0:16:41 > 0:16:43sort of peeling away.

0:16:43 > 0:16:47It wasn't like wee small bits of dandruff, it was quite big flakes.

0:16:47 > 0:16:51But it wasn't the only symptom troubling five-year-old Imogen.

0:16:53 > 0:16:54I said, "Is it sore anywhere?"

0:16:54 > 0:16:57She just said, "Mummy, it's really itchy."

0:16:57 > 0:17:00It wasn't just a wee scratch like that, it was actually going

0:17:00 > 0:17:03mad into the head, you know, and scratching like crazy.

0:17:03 > 0:17:06When I had looked and even pulled parts of her hair over,

0:17:06 > 0:17:09you could see the big flakes coming out.

0:17:09 > 0:17:13Nearly a year on, Nicole believes her daughter still has symptoms.

0:17:13 > 0:17:16Well, now in Imogen's hair, you can actually see, like,

0:17:16 > 0:17:19speckles of flaky skin coming away.

0:17:19 > 0:17:22You know, it is constant, just coming out from the scalp.

0:17:22 > 0:17:26It just seems to be an ongoing problem.

0:17:26 > 0:17:30Nicole's now considering taking her daughter to a dermatologist.

0:17:30 > 0:17:34The bottle of Head& Shoulders she bought at B&M was confirmed

0:17:34 > 0:17:35to be counterfeit.

0:17:36 > 0:17:39I think whenever you go to a reputable store,

0:17:39 > 0:17:42you don't expect to walk in and buy counterfeit goods. You don't.

0:17:42 > 0:17:44And that does make me really angry, the fact that I went in

0:17:44 > 0:17:48and I bought something that was counterfeit and actually used it.

0:17:51 > 0:17:55So Nicole made a complaint to Northern Ireland Trading Standards

0:17:55 > 0:17:59and within weeks, officers had seized counterfeit shampoo

0:17:59 > 0:18:02at 15 discount stores across the region.

0:18:03 > 0:18:06We seized almost 2,000 bottles of the illegal product.

0:18:06 > 0:18:10We suspect, though, that there's quite a lot of counterfeit shampoo

0:18:10 > 0:18:13that appeared right throughout Northern Ireland that quite possibly

0:18:13 > 0:18:17has been sold to consumers from these high street retail premises.

0:18:17 > 0:18:21This batch was seized from seven shops belonging to the large

0:18:21 > 0:18:24UK discount chain Home Bargains.

0:18:24 > 0:18:27But Trading Standards also made seizures from eight stores

0:18:27 > 0:18:31belonging to the chain where Nicole bought her shampoo, B&M.

0:18:35 > 0:18:38Again, this is more counterfeit Head & Shoulders product.

0:18:38 > 0:18:39Quite a sizable amount.

0:18:39 > 0:18:45We've seized almost 600 bottles from this retailer alone.

0:18:45 > 0:18:47B&M Retail told us they were...

0:18:51 > 0:18:55..from one of the wholesale suppliers of this product.

0:18:55 > 0:18:56They say...

0:18:59 > 0:19:01..across all B&M stores.

0:19:08 > 0:19:11..of the parties responsible further up the supply chain.

0:19:21 > 0:19:23Fake Britain has sent samples of a bottle

0:19:23 > 0:19:28bought by Nicole at B&M in Northern Ireland and a batch of counterfeits

0:19:28 > 0:19:31seized by Cornwall Trading Standards for chemical analysis.

0:19:33 > 0:19:34Over two weeks,

0:19:34 > 0:19:38Loughborough University's Chemistry department has been testing

0:19:38 > 0:19:42our fake samples and comparing them with the genuine product.

0:19:44 > 0:19:47They tested for the all-important zinc compound.

0:19:47 > 0:19:51This is the active ingredient in the genuine Head & Shoulders

0:19:51 > 0:19:52that battles dandruff.

0:19:54 > 0:19:56There's practically no zinc in the sample.

0:19:56 > 0:20:01What this means is if you bought this shampoo to control dandruff

0:20:01 > 0:20:05or to treat dandruff on your hair, it's actually going to do nothing.

0:20:05 > 0:20:08So not only is this shampoo counterfeit,

0:20:08 > 0:20:11it's also completely useless.

0:20:11 > 0:20:14More alarmingly in the fakes, Professor Thomas

0:20:14 > 0:20:17and his team have uncovered a substance called lilial.

0:20:20 > 0:20:24It's a cosmetic ingredient that has health effects.

0:20:24 > 0:20:29It's a skin sensitizer and it could hurt you if you're allergic to it.

0:20:29 > 0:20:30Under EU regulations,

0:20:30 > 0:20:34a known allergen like lilial must be strictly labelled.

0:20:34 > 0:20:37This substance can cause contact dermatitis.

0:20:39 > 0:20:42If you picked this counterfeit up and one of your family was sensitive

0:20:42 > 0:20:46to this product, to this molecule here, it would hurt you.

0:20:46 > 0:20:47It would injure you.

0:20:47 > 0:20:49You would need a trip to the doctor.

0:20:49 > 0:20:51But it doesn't stop there.

0:20:51 > 0:20:54In the sample that Nicole bought, Loughborough have found another

0:20:54 > 0:20:59chemical that causes concern and it's also not labelled on the bottle.

0:21:02 > 0:21:06What we've just found here at ten times the level

0:21:06 > 0:21:08that we've seen anything else is diethyl phthalate.

0:21:10 > 0:21:14These are gender-bender chemicals.

0:21:14 > 0:21:18They affect reproductive health, certainly in animal studies.

0:21:18 > 0:21:20You wouldn't want them in products that

0:21:20 > 0:21:23you are putting into close contact with your children.

0:21:26 > 0:21:28All the retailers involved in selling counterfeits told us

0:21:28 > 0:21:31they were unaware that they were selling fakes

0:21:31 > 0:21:34and that they were shocked to find them in the supply chain.

0:21:34 > 0:21:37None of these retail stores faced prosecution.

0:21:40 > 0:21:4299p Stores told us they were...

0:21:46 > 0:21:48They say as soon as Trading Standards

0:21:48 > 0:21:50brought the matter to their attention...

0:21:54 > 0:21:55They say they...

0:22:01 > 0:22:03Home Bargains told us they've been...

0:22:16 > 0:22:18They say they had...

0:22:27 > 0:22:28They say...

0:22:37 > 0:22:38They say it's clear that...

0:22:46 > 0:22:50Professor Thomas is also alarmed by the fact that fake shampoo

0:22:50 > 0:22:52is being sold on the high street.

0:22:52 > 0:22:56They're throwing in mixtures of chemicals in an unregulated,

0:22:56 > 0:22:57uncontrolled, unmanaged way.

0:22:57 > 0:22:59And what you're essentially putting onto your face

0:22:59 > 0:23:02and skin, and that of your family and loved ones, is junk.

0:23:08 > 0:23:13When it comes to a good night in, there are a few key ingredients.

0:23:13 > 0:23:17A good meal, a little bit of mood music, soft lighting...

0:23:17 > 0:23:19And the best way to get that is through one of these -

0:23:19 > 0:23:21a luxury scented candle.

0:23:22 > 0:23:25It's an increasingly popular product which appeals to people like

0:23:25 > 0:23:30new mum Susie Alton from Lydham in Shropshire.

0:23:30 > 0:23:33When she recently spotted some well-priced small luxury

0:23:33 > 0:23:35scented candles online,

0:23:35 > 0:23:38she thought they would make ideal presents for her friends.

0:23:38 > 0:23:41The candles were advertised as being made

0:23:41 > 0:23:43by upmarket British beauty label Jo Malone.

0:23:46 > 0:23:48They were advertised as genuine Jo Malone candles

0:23:48 > 0:23:50and the seller had quite a few of them

0:23:50 > 0:23:55and the picture looked like proper Jo Malone standards.

0:23:55 > 0:23:58And they just looked absolutely beautiful.

0:23:58 > 0:24:01At 17.95 each, the candles weren't cheap,

0:24:01 > 0:24:05but it was still less than their usual retail price of £22.

0:24:05 > 0:24:07She bought four.

0:24:07 > 0:24:10Susie put the candles into action.

0:24:11 > 0:24:14I decided to have a romantic night in and I decided to put these

0:24:14 > 0:24:17candles out across the windowsill with some other candles which I had.

0:24:17 > 0:24:21So I lit them and the smell... It smelt like furniture polish.

0:24:21 > 0:24:25What happened was they spat and they crackled. They were dangerous.

0:24:27 > 0:24:31Luckily, buying through PayPal, Susie had purchase insurance

0:24:31 > 0:24:35and she managed to get her money back and the seller barred.

0:24:35 > 0:24:38But she's not the only candle lover to be duped.

0:24:38 > 0:24:41In fact, Jo Malone candles have become a key brand

0:24:41 > 0:24:43for the fakers to rip off,

0:24:43 > 0:24:45as Sussex Police recently found out.

0:24:47 > 0:24:50They were tipped off about some suspect Jo Malone candles

0:24:50 > 0:24:53being sold at a local craft fair.

0:24:53 > 0:24:57Graham Miles eventually raided the house of the people running

0:24:57 > 0:25:01the stall and he was astonished by what he found.

0:25:03 > 0:25:06Everything on this table are the items that were seized

0:25:06 > 0:25:07from the home of just one of our suspects.

0:25:07 > 0:25:11Lots and lots of counterfeit candles very much like this.

0:25:12 > 0:25:14I think it's 250 odd.

0:25:14 > 0:25:19These larger Jo Malone candles usually retail for £39 each,

0:25:19 > 0:25:23but the fakes are considerably cheaper to produce.

0:25:23 > 0:25:26Graham estimates it at around £3.50 a pop.

0:25:27 > 0:25:32In here, you can see reels and reels of labels, various types.

0:25:32 > 0:25:35On this one, you've got the arrow that tells you to open up the label

0:25:35 > 0:25:37so you can see more information inside,

0:25:37 > 0:25:40but there is nothing behind it, there's no back to that label.

0:25:40 > 0:25:42And that's one way you can tell that it's a counterfeit.

0:25:42 > 0:25:46And the candle fakers had big plans for the future.

0:25:46 > 0:25:49Along with labels and the candles themselves,

0:25:49 > 0:25:53police found a staggering 26 boxes of metal lids.

0:25:53 > 0:25:55This is the kind of quantity we're looking at.

0:25:55 > 0:25:58Metal lids, all engraved with the Jo Malone name.

0:25:58 > 0:26:02Something like 5,000 of them.

0:26:02 > 0:26:05This person was operating on a large scale.

0:26:05 > 0:26:08And was really making some quite significant profit.

0:26:08 > 0:26:11The people Graham arrested in connection with the candles were

0:26:11 > 0:26:13running a secret cottage industry.

0:26:13 > 0:26:19They'd order cheap, unbranded candles from a manufacturer, get fake labels

0:26:19 > 0:26:21printed and then add the specially engraved lids

0:26:21 > 0:26:25and ribbons to make the candles appear like the real thing.

0:26:26 > 0:26:30But it's not just financially that you could be losing out.

0:26:30 > 0:26:34The candles aren't just cheap imitations, they can be dangerous.

0:26:34 > 0:26:38Previous tests by Trading Standards on fake Jo Malones

0:26:38 > 0:26:42have seen the glass the candle comes in explode when lit.

0:26:42 > 0:26:46Today, though, the law has finally caught up with the counterfeiters

0:26:46 > 0:26:49that Graham's team has been investigating.

0:26:49 > 0:26:52At Lewes Crown Court in Sussex, one of them

0:26:52 > 0:26:55received a 12-month sentence for conspiracy to manufacture

0:26:55 > 0:26:59and another received 270 hours of community service

0:26:59 > 0:27:02for conspiracy to sell counterfeit goods.

0:27:04 > 0:27:06It is sending a message. As with any kind of sentencing,

0:27:06 > 0:27:08it's to put other people off from doing it.

0:27:08 > 0:27:11It does affect everybody, the breaching of trademark offences.

0:27:11 > 0:27:12We all buy branded goods.

0:27:12 > 0:27:15If those goods are getting manufactured by others,

0:27:15 > 0:27:16it impacts upon the price we pay,

0:27:16 > 0:27:18it impacts upon the quality of the product we get.

0:27:18 > 0:27:20I think it's important

0:27:20 > 0:27:22that people are put off from counterfeiting those things.

0:27:28 > 0:27:30That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.