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 > 0:00:10Police! Move out the way!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - Get on the floor now.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back now.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Here at the Fake Britain house, things might look familiar,
0:00:28 > 0:00:30but don't be taken in
0:00:30 > 0:00:33because this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:37In this series, I'll be revealing the counterfeits, copies and cons
0:00:37 > 0:00:40that 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 > 0:00:46We'll be investigating those fraudsters
0:00:46 > 0:00:50who are cashing in by selling us something that isn't real,
0:00:50 > 0:00:54and we'll be showing you how to avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:57 > 0:00:58Today, on Fake Britain,
0:00:58 > 0:01:01the fake bike helmets that won't keep you safe.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05This helmet could not have failed in a worse way.
0:01:05 > 0:01:09The counterfeit pesticides heading for UK farms.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11We actually don't know what's inside them.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13They might pose a health risk, they might be carcinogenic.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17And the fake supermarket saving stamps
0:01:17 > 0:01:19that won't help you out on a rainy day.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21There is £1,000 on each one of these.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24There's nothing obvious on it that would say they're fake.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Wearing a helmet
0:01:32 > 0:01:35when you're riding a bicycle might seem like good common sense.
0:01:35 > 0:01:39In some countries, such as Australia, it's now also the law,
0:01:39 > 0:01:40you have to wear one.
0:01:40 > 0:01:43A helmet might save your life in a crash.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46But this bike helmet is fake,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48it's a counterfeit of this one.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51It's dangerous and part of a growing industry
0:01:51 > 0:01:55where the fakers are trying to make money out of the success of cycling.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01With 19,000 cyclists injured or killed every year,
0:02:01 > 0:02:04wearing protective headgear is crucial for most riders.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10The Department Of Transport recently claimed bike helmets
0:02:10 > 0:02:14could prevent up to 16% of the fatalities on Britain's roads.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21But it seems the fakers are now riding on the back of the trend too.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26More worryingly, cyclists are buying counterfeit headgear
0:02:26 > 0:02:29thinking it offers protection when it may not...
0:02:29 > 0:02:31as Andrew McCreery discovered
0:02:31 > 0:02:35when he found a bike helmet, supposedly made by Giro, online.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41It was a product which I had already had for myself personally.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45Seemed to be of good quality, seemed good value for money
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and it was just a brand
0:02:47 > 0:02:49which we had recognised as widely used in the cycling world,
0:02:49 > 0:02:52so we presumed that would probably be the safest bet.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Andrew and his wife, Joanne,
0:02:57 > 0:03:01were training for a 130-mile cycle ride around Northern Ireland
0:03:01 > 0:03:05to raise money for charity, so they needed the right equipment.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11And this event was very personal for them.
0:03:11 > 0:03:16Tragically, in September 2012, we had a son who was stillborn.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Zach.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23He died just a few days before his due date
0:03:23 > 0:03:26and we wanted to do a cycle ride in his memory.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32The Giro helmet they'd found for this important bike ride
0:03:32 > 0:03:37was being sold by a third-party seller on Amazon for £35.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42We were saving £10-£15 in comparison to the retail stores,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45so we decided, well, let's give that a go.
0:03:45 > 0:03:47That's £10 extra for the charity.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Two weeks went by and the helmet hadn't arrived.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54When Andrew chased the Amazon seller,
0:03:54 > 0:03:56he was disturbed by what he discovered.
0:03:58 > 0:04:00We realised that, although it was a UK seller,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02it was a China dispatch,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05and we were informed that, in the small print,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08that it could be 3-4 weeks before we would expect delivery.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10So I suppose alarm bells started to ring at this stage.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16But, when the helmet arrived, Andrew had more reason to worry.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20The initial concern was the weight whenever we took the helmet
0:04:20 > 0:04:25out of the box that it seemed to be much lighter than other Giro helmets.
0:04:25 > 0:04:27It was seen to be a really light-foam quality
0:04:27 > 0:04:30with some type of cheap plastic veneer over the top of it
0:04:30 > 0:04:33which really wasn't meeting the edges in the correct places.
0:04:35 > 0:04:38We were absolutely adamant that this just shouldn't be used at all,
0:04:38 > 0:04:42that the only place this helmet was really fit to go was to the bin.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44And that's where he put it.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48The manufacturer Giro confirmed to Andrew that it was a fake
0:04:48 > 0:04:51and, eventually, he got his money back.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Amazon told us -
0:05:07 > 0:05:09They also said -
0:05:12 > 0:05:16Worryingly, though, the counterfeits are still out there.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Fake Britain managed to buy another suspected fake Giro helmet
0:05:20 > 0:05:22very similar to the one Andrew bought
0:05:22 > 0:05:24from a totally different website.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30We took our suspected fake to INSPEC in Manchester.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33One of the UK's leading test houses for headgear,
0:05:33 > 0:05:38they've agreed to compare it to the original, genuine Giro product
0:05:38 > 0:05:41to see if the fake would pass European safety standards.
0:05:41 > 0:05:46If we compare the products, looking at the original,
0:05:46 > 0:05:51we have one design for the retention system adjustment
0:05:51 > 0:05:55and we have a very different design on the suspected fake.
0:05:55 > 0:06:01Similarly, for the side buckles, we have one design on the original
0:06:01 > 0:06:04and a different design on the suspected fake.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08At this point, that doesn't enable us to draw any conclusions
0:06:08 > 0:06:12but it's something that obviously the end user can look for
0:06:12 > 0:06:13if they're comparing the product.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Andrew and his team will run tests to check that the helmets
0:06:19 > 0:06:22comply with the legally-required European standard
0:06:22 > 0:06:26for bicycle headgear, EN 1078.
0:06:27 > 0:06:29To begin with, the genuine product
0:06:29 > 0:06:33will be put through its paces in a series of real-life scenarios.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37Firstly, they'll measure its performance
0:06:37 > 0:06:41when dropped onto this anvil shaped like a kerbstone.
0:06:42 > 0:06:46The test simulates a head, in this case, hitting the kerbstone.
0:06:46 > 0:06:49The standard for the shock absorption test includes
0:06:49 > 0:06:53a maximum permitted acceleration of 250g.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55So for each of the impacts that we're going to perform,
0:06:55 > 0:06:58we'll be looking to make sure that the helmet
0:06:58 > 0:07:01gives a value which is lower than that maximum.
0:07:01 > 0:07:04OK, so let's see how the genuine Giro performs.
0:07:07 > 0:07:08CLATTERING
0:07:08 > 0:07:11And the result that we've got is 82.3g,
0:07:11 > 0:07:16which is well below the 250g limit specified by the standard.
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Next up, how will the genuine product cope
0:07:18 > 0:07:21when hitting a flat, road-like surface?
0:07:26 > 0:07:30So we've got a result of 187.3g
0:07:30 > 0:07:34which is still well below the limit of 250g.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36That's good performance.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39So that's a pass, as expected, for our genuine Giro helmet.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Has the suspected fake got any chance of matching it?
0:07:48 > 0:07:51First up, it's the kerbstone test.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08That's a terrible result.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11As you can see from the helmet, it's actually split in two.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16The value that we've recorded is 1209.8g,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19many times the maximum permitted by the standard.
0:08:20 > 0:08:25That's nearly five times over the golden 250g safety limit.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And, from Andrew, the news just gets worse.
0:08:29 > 0:08:32Unfortunately that's also exceeded the maximum that we can record
0:08:32 > 0:08:35with our equipment, so the value could even be higher than that,
0:08:35 > 0:08:37which is terrible.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40I think we can be fairly confident that it is absolutely a fake and,
0:08:40 > 0:08:44in practice, that would result in a catastrophic injury for the wearer.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48The fake's failed so badly that it can't continue.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Normally we would be able to perform a second impact.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56Clearly, in this case, we can't do that.
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The lab's test rig is also damaged.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01You can actually see where the kerbstone
0:09:01 > 0:09:03has hit straight onto the headform
0:09:03 > 0:09:06and put an indentation in the test headform.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10If that were somebody's skull, then that would not be very nice.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14Should you have an accident, there would be
0:09:14 > 0:09:17potentially very, very serious consequences.
0:09:21 > 0:09:22So we took our results
0:09:22 > 0:09:25to one of Britain's leading brain injury centres,
0:09:25 > 0:09:29the National Hospital For Neurology And Neurosurgery in London.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35What does neurosurgeon Lewis Thorne
0:09:35 > 0:09:37think of the performance of the fake helmet?
0:09:39 > 0:09:42This has fractured at the side.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45You can just see that the ear would be in this space here,
0:09:45 > 0:09:47and where this comes away here
0:09:47 > 0:09:49would expose the side of the head
0:09:49 > 0:09:51which is actually the thinnest part of the skull
0:09:51 > 0:09:54and most susceptible to fracture.
0:09:54 > 0:09:57Lying underneath that area is one of the main arteries
0:09:57 > 0:09:58beneath the bone,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00and if that's damaged with a fracture of the skull,
0:10:00 > 0:10:04that'll cause high-pressure bleeding over the surface of the brain,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06rapidly putting pressure on the brain,
0:10:06 > 0:10:07and it's the kind of thing that,
0:10:07 > 0:10:11if it doesn't get urgent surgical treatment, is undoubtedly fatal.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14This helmet could not have failed in a worse way.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19And Lewis is shocked by the discovery of fake bike helmets
0:10:19 > 0:10:20like this on the market.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Brain injuries are devastating.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29They are the leading cause of death in young adults
0:10:29 > 0:10:33and, as far as I'm concerned, helmets save lives.
0:10:33 > 0:10:35And if you've got a helmet like this,
0:10:35 > 0:10:37that's not going to save your life.
0:10:37 > 0:10:42To find that people are prepared to put other people's lives at risk
0:10:42 > 0:10:45for the sake of a small profit is totally reprehensible.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55Saving stamps have been around for years in the UK.
0:10:55 > 0:10:58As long ago as 1880, penny and postage stamps
0:10:58 > 0:11:01were bought by people for their Post Office savings accounts,
0:11:01 > 0:11:06and saving stamps are still sold in high-street stores and supermarkets.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08Thousands of people collect them.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14The problem is the fakers have gone into the saving stamps business too.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20In these times of austerity, some supermarkets have reported
0:11:20 > 0:11:26a rise of up to 40% in people buying into their saving stamp schemes.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30When times are hard, people like to use them
0:11:30 > 0:11:32to save for their weekly food shop
0:11:32 > 0:11:35or for Christmas presents for the kids.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Money is tight for everyone, so
0:11:37 > 0:11:44if you can prepare yourself enough by using saving stamps, it helps.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48When you've got a young family, it's easier to put money away each week.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54The problem is that the fakers want a piece of the market too,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57as Nottinghamshire Police are about to find out.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01They're on the trail of counterfeit saver stamps
0:12:01 > 0:12:05from one of Britain's biggest supermarket chains - Morrisons.
0:12:08 > 0:12:09We're en route to Coventry.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13The Border Agency
0:12:13 > 0:12:20have intercepted a package of stamps to a value of £25,000.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25Detective Constable Glenn Finbow
0:12:25 > 0:12:28suspects organised crime could be behind this hoard.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I doubt this is a one-man operation or a one-person operation.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36One person can't go into a superstore
0:12:36 > 0:12:40and cash in £25,000 worth of stamps in one hit.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43It's got to be, potentially, nationwide.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49It seems the fakers are targeting saving stamps
0:12:49 > 0:12:51because they can be used like cash.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55Unwitting shoppers have been duped into buying them too.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00One woman was recently arrested for trying to use fakes in Tesco.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05Back at Coventry postal hub,
0:13:05 > 0:13:07Nottinghamshire Police have taken delivery
0:13:07 > 0:13:11of £25,000 worth of saving stamps.
0:13:12 > 0:13:13So what do they make of them?
0:13:14 > 0:13:17We've seized this one package which has obviously...
0:13:17 > 0:13:19It's got Chinese writing on it.
0:13:19 > 0:13:23It's come from China to an address in Nottinghamshire.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27It seems the fakers are using cheap Chinese counterfeiters
0:13:27 > 0:13:30to do their dirty work and avoid UK law.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34But the arrival of this seemingly-innocuous parcel
0:13:34 > 0:13:36from the Far East
0:13:36 > 0:13:38raised suspicions at customs.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Border Force picked this up initially
0:13:40 > 0:13:45because it is such a small package for such a large supermarket chain
0:13:45 > 0:13:47and it's not actually going to any Morrisons store,
0:13:47 > 0:13:50it's going to the home address of someone else in Nottingham.
0:13:54 > 0:13:56So it's back to base for Glenn and his colleagues
0:13:56 > 0:13:58with their counterfeit hoard.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03Now they're out of the package, they can take a closer look
0:14:03 > 0:14:06alongside some genuine Morrisons saving stamps.
0:14:07 > 0:14:12These are forgeries, these are the originals.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14- I'll tell you what, it's not bad, is it?- It's not bad at all.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17- It's very good. - That is a pretty good...
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- Yeah, I wouldn't be able to tell. - Fake.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24So, Glenn and his colleagues are surprised by their quality.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27But, side-by-side, next to the genuine saving stamps,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30they have spotted some differences.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34- That's a darker yellow.- Yes. - A more golden colour.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37The genuine ones are slightly brighter yellow
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and the Morrisons logo behind it it's quite light on these
0:14:41 > 0:14:44and not quite as light on the fakes.
0:14:44 > 0:14:46And it's the same size, same perforation,
0:14:46 > 0:14:49the font sizes are the same.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51If someone gave me one of those, I would have no clue.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54- There's nothing obvious on it that would say they're fake.- No.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57You could probably buy several flatscreen TVs
0:14:57 > 0:15:00with each of these small bundles.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03There's £1,000 on each one of these.
0:15:03 > 0:15:05They're all sequential numbering,
0:15:05 > 0:15:10starting at 3201, 3202, all the way through.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And it ends in 4200.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16There's 1,000 numbers in this bundle.
0:15:16 > 0:15:19£1,000 worth of stamps.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22And if Border Force hadn't intercepted this small package,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24Morrisons would have paid the price.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27If these went out into the open market
0:15:27 > 0:15:32and back into Morrisons, Morrisons would be £25,000 down.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38It turns out these aren't the only fakes that have been found.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42Morrisons say that -
0:15:55 > 0:15:57They advise all customers that -
0:16:02 > 0:16:05But in the meantime, Glenn and his fellow officers
0:16:05 > 0:16:07will follow up the leads they have on the packaging.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11We've obtained a few more intelligence details
0:16:11 > 0:16:14off of the actual box itself.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17A couple of names, couple of addresses.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19We'll be doing some intelligence-led police work
0:16:19 > 0:16:22and see what avenue they lead us down.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The police investigation is ongoing.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Earlier we saw how fake bike helmets on the market
0:16:39 > 0:16:41are putting lives in danger.
0:16:41 > 0:16:45If you've got a helmet like this, that's not going to save your life.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49Well, Fake Britain has been alerted to another dodgy batch of helmets.
0:16:50 > 0:16:53This time heading for real bikers - motorcyclists.
0:16:54 > 0:16:5826 were recently seized by Trading Standards.
0:16:59 > 0:17:00Today they've brought them
0:17:00 > 0:17:03to the British Standards Institution, or BSI,
0:17:03 > 0:17:07to see if they comply with European or British safety standards,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10as all motorcycle headgear must do under UK law.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15What we want to find out is whether these are safe or not,
0:17:15 > 0:17:19so BSI are carrying out some tests for us on the safety of the helmets
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and also on the safety of the visors themselves.
0:17:23 > 0:17:27The visor suggests it complies with European standards
0:17:27 > 0:17:32but lab manager Mark Mayo suspects this is a fake claim.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37The visor says that it's homologated to E22-05
0:17:37 > 0:17:41but it is not the correct terminology for that standard.
0:17:41 > 0:17:44So the makers can't even quote the correct standard,
0:17:44 > 0:17:49which should read ECE 22.05.
0:17:50 > 0:17:52Nevertheless, the BSI is going to see
0:17:52 > 0:17:55if the claim made on this helmet is fake
0:17:55 > 0:17:58with a series of tests on the visor.
0:17:58 > 0:18:01The test we're going to show you now is the abrasion test.
0:18:01 > 0:18:04It's to simulate whether a visor is scratch...
0:18:04 > 0:18:06how scratch resistant it is and whether or not,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08over a period of time,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10the visor will still be able to be viewed through.
0:18:13 > 0:18:17As Trading Standards watch on, a square section is removed.
0:18:17 > 0:18:20This will now be subjected to the kind of wear and tear
0:18:20 > 0:18:23a motorcycle visor could get during its lifetime.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29We're going to drop sand on it which simulates particles
0:18:29 > 0:18:32hitting the visor when it's actually in use.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35We'll then see how much effect that has
0:18:35 > 0:18:38on the transparency of the visor.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45After 5kg of falling sand,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49the sample is taken to another lab for a diffusion test.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53Here, a laser is aimed at the visor to measure the amount of light
0:18:53 > 0:18:56that gets through after the abrasion.
0:18:56 > 0:19:01The results were five times the limit, so that's a definite fail.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04What this means is that by the time the visor is coming towards
0:19:04 > 0:19:05the end of its life,
0:19:05 > 0:19:08the motorcyclist won't even be able to see through it properly
0:19:08 > 0:19:12and it is not... Basically not fit for purpose.
0:19:12 > 0:19:17So the claim that the visor meets the European standard is a fake.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20What do Trading Standards make of these results?
0:19:20 > 0:19:24Well, I'm really disappointed. The helmet clearly doesn't perform.
0:19:24 > 0:19:26It doesn't look as though it's going to perform as it should
0:19:26 > 0:19:29which presents a worry for the wearer.
0:19:31 > 0:19:34Next, the team from the BSI prepare a penetration test.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38This simulates how well the motorcycle visor
0:19:38 > 0:19:43can withstand the impact of a stone or other flying debris.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46We'll drop a mass from one metre,
0:19:46 > 0:19:49we hit the punch and that will penetrate the visor
0:19:49 > 0:19:51and depending on how far it goes through,
0:19:51 > 0:19:53determines whether it's a pass or a fail.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01There is a difference of 6mm penetration into the visor
0:20:01 > 0:20:05and the limit is 5mm, so this is a failure.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07So, on a second count,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09the claim that this visor meets European standards
0:20:09 > 0:20:11is proven to be a fake.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16For the final, most critical test,
0:20:16 > 0:20:20the BSI team is going to measure how well the helmet itself
0:20:20 > 0:20:23will protect the rider in the event of a crash.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25This will simulate in a real-life accident
0:20:25 > 0:20:27someone coming off a motorbike.
0:20:31 > 0:20:33This is one of the impact tests it has to pass
0:20:33 > 0:20:35to meet the European standard.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38So will it be third time lucky?
0:20:45 > 0:20:50The impact energy is 975g which is a massive impact.
0:20:50 > 0:20:54It's over three times the limit, it's actually off the scale.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58That's brain injury, definitely.
0:21:00 > 0:21:05So this helmet's catastrophically failed the European standards.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08And there's worse news for the visor.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11The visor's cracked in half but could quite easily have shattered
0:21:11 > 0:21:16into more pieces, which could have caused serious eye injuries.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Trading Standards have been warning bikers about the dangers
0:21:19 > 0:21:23of buying helmets that don't meet legal safety standards.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Their investigation continues.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I would be concerned for anyone who is going to be wearing this helmet.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32The worst thing is they think they're protecting themselves
0:21:32 > 0:21:34by wearing a helmet
0:21:34 > 0:21:37and it's barely going to provide any protection whatsoever.
0:21:43 > 0:21:47Pesticides are often used to help grow the food we eat.
0:21:47 > 0:21:49They're regulated and tested
0:21:49 > 0:21:53and the residues that remain on the food when we buy it are monitored.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55But even then, it's a controversial subject.
0:21:55 > 0:21:58So, it's been alarming for Fake Britain to discover
0:21:58 > 0:22:03that potentially-dangerous fake pesticides are in circulation.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05Experts tell us that the worldwide trade
0:22:05 > 0:22:08in counterfeit and illegal pesticides
0:22:08 > 0:22:12is said to be worth around a massive £4 billion,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16and UK farms could be on the counterfeiters' hit list.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22This is Felixstowe Port
0:22:22 > 0:22:25where Border Force have made a shocking discovery of counterfeits.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29Not the usual fake perfume or children's toys...
0:22:30 > 0:22:33These are fake pesticides,
0:22:33 > 0:22:35and they're potentially hazardous chemicals.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40Well, the consignment originated in China
0:22:40 > 0:22:45and it's been imported into the UK.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49The products themselves are generally used in pesticides which would
0:22:49 > 0:22:53typically be in something like this designed for agricultural use
0:22:53 > 0:22:55rather than retail sale.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00Acetamiprid is an insecticide and was developed in Japan.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05The Japanese manufacturer has told Border Force that this
0:23:05 > 0:23:08consignment must be counterfeit
0:23:08 > 0:23:12because it's arrived from China, outside the usual supply chain.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17The packaging is blank because it's probably going to be used
0:23:17 > 0:23:20in some sort of further manufacturing or packaging process
0:23:20 > 0:23:22somewhere in the UK.
0:23:22 > 0:23:23But because it's counterfeit,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26we don't know where that manufacturing will take place
0:23:26 > 0:23:29or that repackaging or relabeling.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31And then what will happen to it after that?
0:23:34 > 0:23:35The genuine acetamiprid
0:23:35 > 0:23:39is used to destroy aphids like blackfly and greenfly
0:23:39 > 0:23:42which suck the sap from young plants and damage crops.
0:23:44 > 0:23:47This insecticide is approved for use on fruit and vegetables
0:23:47 > 0:23:52that we all buy, like apples, lettuce and potatoes.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58Although acetamiprid is not widely used throughout
0:23:58 > 0:24:00the UK's farming industry,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03researchers at Harper Adams University in Gloucestershire
0:24:03 > 0:24:06have been monitoring other fake pesticides
0:24:06 > 0:24:09that have entered Europe from elsewhere.
0:24:10 > 0:24:16Somewhere between 5% and 7% of the pesticides being used in the UK
0:24:16 > 0:24:17are likely to be illegal and,
0:24:17 > 0:24:21again, a proportion of those will be counterfeits.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Certainly, the manufacturers of these illicit products
0:24:25 > 0:24:27are becoming smarter.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31They are producing product that is increasingly more likely
0:24:31 > 0:24:32to fool the authorities.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37Like any counterfeit products,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40the worry for experts like Chris Sambrook and Dr Richard Byrne
0:24:40 > 0:24:44is not knowing what hazardous chemicals are contained
0:24:44 > 0:24:45within the fakes.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50A manufactured pesticide is gone through years of testing,
0:24:50 > 0:24:53years of investment, it's regulated, it's...
0:24:53 > 0:24:55We know how it behaves in the environment.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00The real problem with these counterfeit pesticides
0:25:00 > 0:25:02is that they might be carcinogenic.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06They might accrue in the soil system, they might pollute watercourses,
0:25:06 > 0:25:09they might pose a health risk to the operators.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14The costs of fake pesticides affecting the food we eat
0:25:14 > 0:25:16are potentially high for everyone.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18There is a potential for these...
0:25:18 > 0:25:22for the residue from these products which again are untested,
0:25:22 > 0:25:23getting into the food chain
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and having a long-term impact as a consequence of that.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29If it's a fake product that's being used,
0:25:29 > 0:25:32sprayed onto vegetables or fruit,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36I think the risk there is likely to be somewhat greater,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39simply because the residues have a greater potential
0:25:39 > 0:25:42to get into the food chain because they won't have had time
0:25:42 > 0:25:45to dissipate, and I think anything that's certainly sprayed onto
0:25:45 > 0:25:48a fruit crop would be a worry.
0:25:52 > 0:25:56For people like Robert Young, whose family has been farming food crops
0:25:56 > 0:25:58for generations, that's the concern.
0:26:00 > 0:26:03Even though he's never encountered fake pesticides,
0:26:03 > 0:26:06news of attempts to bring them into the UK is a worry.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10I think that's very disturbing.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13All our crops are grown to farm assurance standards
0:26:13 > 0:26:16for human consumption and we have to guarantee
0:26:16 > 0:26:21that no adverse pesticides are used on them.
0:26:21 > 0:26:26It could put something toxic in that would make it unsalable
0:26:26 > 0:26:28and then the crop would be unmarketable,
0:26:28 > 0:26:31so there's a huge financial risk.
0:26:31 > 0:26:34And if you've got a fake pesticide,
0:26:34 > 0:26:38then you don't know the ultimate consequences that will happen.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42Pesticide usage in the UK
0:26:42 > 0:26:45is one of the most highly regulated in the world.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47All chemicals have to be tested
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and approved by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55Many farmers like Robert use certified suppliers,
0:26:55 > 0:27:00an adviser or agronomist to suggest which pesticides to use,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03and he has to record when he sprays them.
0:27:03 > 0:27:07But with companies allowed to source pesticides from elsewhere in Europe,
0:27:07 > 0:27:10the danger is if the fakes get into the system
0:27:10 > 0:27:13at a weaker point in the chain.
0:27:13 > 0:27:14The biggest risk would be
0:27:14 > 0:27:19if distributors got something unwittingly and passed it on
0:27:19 > 0:27:23to the farmers, and I think that is the bit that...have to be cautious.
0:27:26 > 0:27:30Europol estimate that up to 25% of pesticides
0:27:30 > 0:27:33in some European countries have been sourced illegally.
0:27:36 > 0:27:39Organisations including the National Farmers Union
0:27:39 > 0:27:42have set up the 'Watch Out!' campaign
0:27:42 > 0:27:44to help farmers spot the counterfeits.
0:27:45 > 0:27:50The industry take the use of pesticides extremely seriously.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53Consumer confidence is absolutely paramount to our industry.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55We've seen that there's a problem over in Europe
0:27:55 > 0:27:57but we want to make sure it doesn't become one here.
0:27:59 > 0:28:02Back at the port of Felixstowe,
0:28:02 > 0:28:06for these fake pesticides, there's only one destination.
0:28:06 > 0:28:09The safest thing for us to do is to just destroy them
0:28:09 > 0:28:13and make sure they're out of harm's way for good.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16Without the Border Force,
0:28:16 > 0:28:19these could have been heading to a field near you.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.