0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:08 > 0:00:10SHOUTING Police!
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.
0:00:24 > 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 > 0:00:47We'll be investigating those fraudsters who are cashing in
0:00:47 > 0:00:50by 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.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57Today on Fake Britain -
0:00:57 > 0:01:00fake alcohol blighting Britain's pubs...
0:01:00 > 0:01:03This was actually found for sale behind the bar on an optic,
0:01:03 > 0:01:04and could actually kill you.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06..fake art that's fleecing art lovers
0:01:06 > 0:01:08for millions of pounds every year...
0:01:08 > 0:01:11They say it was found in an attic in the 1960s,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14when in reality it was probably made last year in China.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16..and what's in your takeaway?
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Fake Britain lifts the lid on lamb kebabs.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23Looking at its label, I suspect the product is probably fake.
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Keys, wallet, jacket -
0:01:33 > 0:01:34got everything.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36See, I'm off down the pub.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39Going to meet my friends, might even have a drink or two.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41It's part of the British way of life.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44So in a British pub, you can rely on being served the real thing.
0:01:44 > 0:01:46Can't you?
0:01:49 > 0:01:51The black market industry for fake alcohol in Britain
0:01:51 > 0:01:55is now worth an estimated £1 billion,
0:01:55 > 0:01:59as sales for counterfeit wine and spirits are on the rise.
0:01:59 > 0:02:02We've seen before on Fake Britain knock-off booze
0:02:02 > 0:02:04being sold in local shops and off-licences
0:02:04 > 0:02:06up and down the country.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09We're going to be seizing this, because it isn't a whisky. It's fake.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13And we've seen just how dangerous these fake drinks can be.
0:02:13 > 0:02:15Contains high levels of methanol.
0:02:15 > 0:02:18This product needs to come off sale today.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23But in St Helens, Merseyside, Trading Standards Officer
0:02:23 > 0:02:27Colette Ray has just uncovered a seriously shocking case
0:02:27 > 0:02:31of fake spirits, and one that showcases a terrifying trend -
0:02:31 > 0:02:35fakes being sold over the counter to pub customers.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37This is probably the largest operation
0:02:37 > 0:02:41that St Helens Trading Standards have been involved in.
0:02:41 > 0:02:45It all started when environmental health received complaints
0:02:45 > 0:02:47about a pub called the White House.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49It was thought to be hoarding a stash
0:02:49 > 0:02:53of 1,500 empty beer kegs in the back yard.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57But Colette at Trading Standards suspected
0:02:57 > 0:02:59there could be more to this than met the eye.
0:02:59 > 0:03:04The pub was associated with low-level criminality,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07but I don't think any of us had any idea
0:03:07 > 0:03:10of the scale of what we were about to find.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13In the past, Trading Standards have dealt with pubs
0:03:13 > 0:03:16passing off cheaper spirits as premium brands
0:03:16 > 0:03:21as a way to bolster their profits, known in the trade as substitution.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25But as Colette and the team searched the White House pub,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29they quickly suspected a number of bottles of spirits for sale
0:03:29 > 0:03:31behind the bar might be fake.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35And they found a further stash of almost 1,000
0:03:35 > 0:03:39potentially fake bottles boxed up in the flat above the pub.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41Trading Standards chief Darrell Wilson
0:03:41 > 0:03:44didn't waste any time getting the suspect spirits
0:03:44 > 0:03:47out of harm's way until they knew what they were dealing with.
0:03:47 > 0:03:49As you can see, this is everything
0:03:49 > 0:03:52that Colette and the team seized from the pub.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55This is Prince Consort vodka.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59There is such a brand as Prince Consort, so this is a fake, a copy,
0:03:59 > 0:04:03made to look very convincing, with all the labelling
0:04:03 > 0:04:06and the wording just as you'd expect on the original item.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08Even on the back of the bottle,
0:04:08 > 0:04:12they go to the trouble of copying a duty stamp and a barcode.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14But this isn't genuine. It's fake.
0:04:16 > 0:04:20There was worse to come, as Darrell sent the fake Prince Consort vodka
0:04:20 > 0:04:23to be analysed at the lab.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25It contains industrial alcohol,
0:04:25 > 0:04:27which, if you were to consume this in any quantities,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30could make you very ill,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34and could actually kill you if you carried on drinking this.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Sadly, over the last ten years,
0:04:36 > 0:04:40there have been hundreds of deaths worldwide linked to fake alcohol,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43and as a result, we're all urged to examine the bottles we buy
0:04:43 > 0:04:46to check they're legit.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50But these fake spirits were being served to unsuspecting locals
0:04:50 > 0:04:54on a licensed premises by a landlord and landlady,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57Cedrick Fitzpatrick and Barbara Gallimore.
0:04:57 > 0:05:00So the customers had no control over what they were drinking.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04This was actually found for sale behind the bar on an optic.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07This was actually being sold to customers, which is quite worrying
0:05:07 > 0:05:09when you consider that people just going to the local pub
0:05:09 > 0:05:12for a drink with their friends are actually being served
0:05:12 > 0:05:16something which certainly in any quantity can be quite dangerous.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20These fakers didn't stop there.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24The team also uncovered a bootleg brand called Revolution vodka.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26They're purported to be produced
0:05:26 > 0:05:29for the discount supermarket chain Aldi.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32When we checked, they've never heard of Revolution vodka.
0:05:32 > 0:05:36It's all part of the method to try and sell this to people.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40And there was a further bootleg brand of fake Scotch whisky
0:05:40 > 0:05:42that was also being sold in the White House.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45There is actually no real brand of Dexter's.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49This is a fake brand, and they don't actually contain whisky.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53It's just a brown spirit, but it's not whisky.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56So being fake, they're illegal.
0:05:56 > 0:06:00And obviously there are 500 bottles of this we seized.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03The pub was immediately shut down,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05and has quickly fallen into disrepair.
0:06:05 > 0:06:10The White House, as you can see, is now completely empty.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12It's boarded up. It's been closed for some time,
0:06:12 > 0:06:15because the licensee lost the premises licence
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and so can no longer operate.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19It's a frightening revelation -
0:06:19 > 0:06:22900 bottles of potentially lethal fake spirits
0:06:22 > 0:06:24with a retail value of almost £50,000,
0:06:24 > 0:06:27all being sold from a pub.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31St Helens Trading Standards have seen substituted spirits in pubs,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34and we've seen fake alcohol in off-licences,
0:06:34 > 0:06:38but we've never seen it on sale in a pub before,
0:06:38 > 0:06:41and we've certainly never seen it in such quantities.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44This is the biggest stash of fake spirits we've seen in St Helens,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48and I suspect it's one of the larger ones in the country.
0:06:48 > 0:06:52In the UK, pubs are governed by strict licensing laws,
0:06:52 > 0:06:57and as St Helens councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron points out,
0:06:57 > 0:06:59if you can't trust a pub not to sell you fakes,
0:06:59 > 0:07:01who can you trust?
0:07:01 > 0:07:04It's important that the community should go out and be able to be trusting the people
0:07:04 > 0:07:08that they're buying drink off, because you could be ending up in a vulnerable position.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Selling fake alcohol has always been an issue, but more of a backstreet trade.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14I think when people do it under the banner of a reputable pub,
0:07:14 > 0:07:17it dupes the public into thinking it's someone they can trust,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20and if they're buying that under that misapprehension then it's totally unfair,
0:07:20 > 0:07:24and the council and the authorities should deal with it very severely.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Thanks to the St Helens Trading Standards team,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30there's no more fake booze being traded from this public house.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32And for flogging the fakes,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36Cedrick Fitzpatrick received a nine-month prison sentence,
0:07:36 > 0:07:40Barbara Gallimore a six-month custodial sentence,
0:07:40 > 0:07:42suspended for 12 months.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45I think the strong message that we need to send out is, if you dabble in fake booze,
0:07:45 > 0:07:48then Trading Standards will come after you, they will prosecute you,
0:07:48 > 0:07:50and you will be punished for abusing their trust.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52Later we discover that Dexter's
0:07:52 > 0:07:55isn't the only phoney Scotch doing the rounds,
0:07:55 > 0:07:59and reveal the tricks they use to flog you fakes.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02People will be buying this in the mistaken belief that it's Scotch.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04It's quite clearly a fake whisky.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12Now, that is the smell of Saturday night.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15We've looked at takeaway food that isn't everything it should be
0:08:15 > 0:08:18on Fake Britain before - the curries that are a con,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21the fish and chips that are a bit fishy,
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and the pizzas that are faking it.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26So all I've got left is the lamb kebab.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And if I ordered lamb, the law says it must be lamb.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33I mean, what else could it be?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Kebabs are one of Britain's top takeaways.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40In fact, we Brits are eating so many
0:08:40 > 0:08:45that the industry is said to be worth about £2.2 billion.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47That's a lot of doners.
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Kebabs originated in Turkey, and in legitimate restaurants,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54like this award-winning establishment in north London,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57you get the real thing - kebabs that are made
0:08:57 > 0:08:59using either chicken or lamb.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01But here's the thing -
0:09:01 > 0:09:04lamb kebabs are the most expensive to produce,
0:09:04 > 0:09:07as wholesale prices for lamb meat are almost twice
0:09:07 > 0:09:11that of beef or pork at around £35 a kilo.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14And there are kebab shops up and down the country
0:09:14 > 0:09:17selling fake kebabs, swapping out the expensive lamb
0:09:17 > 0:09:21and instead giving you cheaper meat such as beef or pork.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27It's 11am near West Malling in Kent,
0:09:27 > 0:09:31and County Council Trading Standards Officer Susan Harvey
0:09:31 > 0:09:35is heading off to carry out a test purchase on a local kebab shop
0:09:35 > 0:09:38that they suspect is selling fake lamb doners.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40So we'll be taking a formal sample,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and this is basically just to see whether the product is fake.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47You know, is it actually lamb, or has it got other meats in it?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Pretty straightforward, really.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Susan will buy a kebab and then have it analysed
0:09:52 > 0:09:54to find out what meat it contains.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58If it turns out to be fake, the seller could face a hefty fine.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02Now Susan wants to get a sample of the lamb kebab
0:10:02 > 0:10:05as if she was a regular customer, so for now,
0:10:05 > 0:10:09she's going to keep the fact she's with Trading Standards on the QT,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13which means the Fake Britain camera is going to loiter outside.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Can I have a large lamb doner, please?
0:10:18 > 0:10:20That's all, thank you.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23And with the sample in the bag, it's time for phase two.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27Purchased it, just came out the shop,
0:10:27 > 0:10:30and now we're going to go in and I'll tell them who I am
0:10:30 > 0:10:33and then continue my inspection of the premises.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36It was described on the menu board as a lamb doner kebab,
0:10:36 > 0:10:39so therefore I would expect that to contain only lamb.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41From the tip-off she's received,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44Susan suspects she's got a fake lamb kebab,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46so she's going to have a chat with the staff
0:10:46 > 0:10:49and have a butcher's around the shop.
0:10:49 > 0:10:50Hi, there.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53I'm from Kent County Council Trading Standards.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56- Just came in and purchased the lamb doner kebabs from you.- Yeah.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00OK, what I'm here to do is to do a formal sample of the food.
0:11:00 > 0:11:02What we're going to be doing
0:11:02 > 0:11:05- is checking for any other species in there, OK?- Oh, right.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- So has it got anything other than lamb in the kebab?- OK.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11So what I need to do, I will need to come out round the back as well.
0:11:11 > 0:11:15Susan knows the kebab shop could be buying the lamb meat in good faith,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18and the meat could be mixed further up the supply chain.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20So she wants to have a root around the kitchen
0:11:20 > 0:11:23for any evidence that could be useful.
0:11:23 > 0:11:27- Where's the best way through? Through here?- Yeah.- Yeah? Thank you.
0:11:27 > 0:11:29At the back, Susan wants to have a closer look
0:11:29 > 0:11:32at the packaging that the doner kebab came in.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34- Put in here.- You put it in the bin, have you?
0:11:34 > 0:11:37OK. Look at that.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40Susan's interested to see if the packing label
0:11:40 > 0:11:42contains any information that might show
0:11:42 > 0:11:44if the kebabs on sale are fake.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48At the top, it does say "mixed meat doner kebabs",
0:11:48 > 0:11:51so it leads me to conclude it does contain beef in there, OK?
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Cos otherwise I would expect it to say "lamb doner kebab".
0:11:55 > 0:11:58The kebab shop worker is looking anxious.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02It's not surprising, since the label's ingredient list
0:12:02 > 0:12:07makes Susan believe she may well have just bought a fake lamb kebab.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- It looks like it might be beef. - No, it shouldn't be. It's lamb.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Yeah, it's got lamb, but there's something else written above there, isn't there?
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- Do you understand what the issue is here? Cos it's a lamb kebab. - Yeah, yeah, I understand.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- Now, it's not very clear.- You need to find out what is inside?- Exactly.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23And it's difficult to read this,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26but I think that possibly says it's got beef in it.
0:12:26 > 0:12:30It looks like the supplier has labelled the meat correctly,
0:12:30 > 0:12:35but the shop is selling mixed meat kebabs advertising them as lamb.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38Looking at its label, I suspect the product is probably fake,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41which we obviously will need to confirm by speaking to the supplier
0:12:41 > 0:12:45and also via the test that we get done by the public analyst.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Because it looks to me as though it contains beef as well as lamb.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53With the suspect kebab and label bagged and tagged...
0:12:53 > 0:12:55- OK, thank you very much.- No problem.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- ..Susan's work here is done. - Thank you.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Back at base, chief tester Jon Griffin
0:13:01 > 0:13:05has analysed the lamb kebab by checking the DNA
0:13:05 > 0:13:08to reveal what meat it contains and whether it's a fake.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11There can be an array of meats in there,
0:13:11 > 0:13:13or you might just find the one.
0:13:13 > 0:13:15A couple of shakes of a test tube,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and it's official -
0:13:17 > 0:13:19the lamb kebab is a fake.
0:13:21 > 0:13:23It contained 42% beef
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and only 58% lamb.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29And the restaurant that sold it is given a written warning
0:13:29 > 0:13:32to ensure they stop selling fakes.
0:13:32 > 0:13:34If they're what we're calling fake kebabs,
0:13:34 > 0:13:37then the consumer is suffering from that point of view,
0:13:37 > 0:13:40because they're just not getting what they're paying for.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44The consumer must know what they're buying. That's the most important thing.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53Earlier we saw how St Helens Trading Standards for the first time
0:13:53 > 0:13:56uncovered a stash of fake spirits being sold
0:13:56 > 0:13:59to unsuspecting customers in a licensed pub.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03This is the biggest stash of fake spirits we've seen.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06One of the brands on offer was a fake Scotch whisky.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10It's just a spirit, a brown spirit, but it's not whisky.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13Now, Scottish whisky, known as Scotch,
0:14:13 > 0:14:17is so popular it's a multibillion-pound industry
0:14:17 > 0:14:20that employs over 45,000 Brits.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23In one year alone, Scottish distilleries produce enough bottles
0:14:23 > 0:14:27to stretch between New York and Edinburgh six times over -
0:14:27 > 0:14:28not that you'd want to do that.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31Whisky writer and lecturer Charles MacLean
0:14:31 > 0:14:35has a nose for the Scottish dram, and understands why it's so popular.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38When you buy a bottle of Scotch whisky,
0:14:38 > 0:14:42you're buying a hell of a lot more than liquor in a bottle.
0:14:42 > 0:14:46You're buying craft, you're buying culture, you're buying history.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50And if the whisky is not what it says it is,
0:14:50 > 0:14:53it leads to disappointment.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55And, yes, you've guessed it -
0:14:55 > 0:14:58there are disappointed drinkers up and down the UK
0:14:58 > 0:15:02as Scotch whisky has been targeted by the fakers.
0:15:02 > 0:15:06And it's the job of Scottish Whisky Association lawyer
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Lindsay Low to flush out the fakes.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13Well, Scotch whisky is defined by law.
0:15:13 > 0:15:16There are very strict regulations regarding how it must be made.
0:15:16 > 0:15:20And the industry is closely supervised by UK customs,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23who make sure that people are playing by the rules.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27In order to sell it as a genuine Scotch whisky,
0:15:27 > 0:15:31there are certain boxes the drink has to tick,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34and failure to do so will make it a fake.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Scotch whisky is a very pure and natural product.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39There are only three raw materials that are used in its production,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42and that's water, cereal and yeast.
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Another important part of the production process
0:15:44 > 0:15:47is it has to be matured for at least three years
0:15:47 > 0:15:49in Scotland in oak barrels.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52The ageing of whisky in the wooden barrels is an expensive process,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55and there are fakers out there trying to cash in
0:15:55 > 0:16:00on the lucrative market by passing off substandard spirits
0:16:00 > 0:16:02as a drop of the good old stuff.
0:16:02 > 0:16:04When we come across fake Scotch whiskies,
0:16:04 > 0:16:09we generally find that they consist of unaged, neutral spirits,
0:16:09 > 0:16:13possibly with a small amount of genuine whisky added to them
0:16:13 > 0:16:17to give them a superficial appearance and flavour of the real thing.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22And it's not just what's inside the bottle that's designed to dupe.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It's the bottles themselves.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27OK, well, we've got a few bottles here
0:16:27 > 0:16:30that we've discovered in the UK, and they're all fake whiskies.
0:16:30 > 0:16:32The first of these is Dexter,
0:16:32 > 0:16:37and this product was seen widely across England.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40It's the fake brand we saw Merseyside Trading Standards
0:16:40 > 0:16:42seize from the White House pub.
0:16:42 > 0:16:46The Scottish Whisky Research Institute ran specific tests
0:16:46 > 0:16:50on the liquid in the bottle that claims to be a Scottish whisky,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52just to see whether it's been aged in oak barrels
0:16:52 > 0:16:54or whether it's just a cheap fake.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58Probably most importantly, they've looked at the compounds
0:16:58 > 0:17:01that are present as a result of it being aged in barrels,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04so we can tell from that that it's not been aged
0:17:04 > 0:17:07for three years as required, and therefore it can't be sold as whisky.
0:17:07 > 0:17:12It also revealed that the liquid was a neutral, unaged alcoholic spirit,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15most likely dyed to give it a similar colour to whisky.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17It's quite clearly a fake whisky.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21And it's not the only one.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23In fact, over the last ten years,
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Lindsay has seen 20 different fake Scottish whisky brands
0:17:26 > 0:17:28being sold in Britain.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Here's one of his personal favourites.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32This is another fake whisky.
0:17:32 > 0:17:35Looking at it, it's got a lot of Scottish imagery -
0:17:35 > 0:17:39it's got the Highland dancer, it's called Scottish Swordsman.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41If you read the back label,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44"Aged and blended in the Highlands in the old Scottish tradition."
0:17:44 > 0:17:46But again, this is completely fake.
0:17:46 > 0:17:50It's neutral, unaged alcohol - a far inferior product.
0:17:50 > 0:17:54Genuine blended Scottish whisky retails from around £12 a bottle,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57and the cost of producing it varies
0:17:57 > 0:17:59depending on how long the liquid has aged for.
0:17:59 > 0:18:01But a neutral unaged spirit,
0:18:01 > 0:18:04packaged as a fake Scotch like this Scottish Swordsman,
0:18:04 > 0:18:08can be knocked up in a Del Boy distillery for significantly less.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Well, there can be no doubt that people will be buying this
0:18:11 > 0:18:14in the mistaken belief that it's Scotch.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16And as Charles MacLean knows only too well,
0:18:16 > 0:18:20it's the drinker's palate that ultimately pays the price.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24These counterfeiters who can buy some very cheap base spirit
0:18:24 > 0:18:29and colour it up and stick it into a bottle,
0:18:29 > 0:18:32from a flavour point of view, is disastrous.
0:18:32 > 0:18:35But drinkers aren't the only ones to suffer.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Scotch whisky sells because it's a natural,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43high-quality, iconic product.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46If it's widely faked, we could lose that,
0:18:46 > 0:18:49and it's something that we probably wouldn't be able to get back.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53Later, recycling's not always good -
0:18:53 > 0:18:56old bottles filled with botched Scotch.
0:18:56 > 0:18:59Who knows, maybe it's single cask washing-up liquid.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01I don't know, but it's not the real deal.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09Take a look at this. It's a name you might recognise.
0:19:09 > 0:19:13LS Lowry, famous for the matchstick men he created
0:19:13 > 0:19:15in industrial scenes of life
0:19:15 > 0:19:17in the north-west of England where he lived,
0:19:17 > 0:19:20he often made sketches like this on almost anything -
0:19:20 > 0:19:23the back of a napkin or a postcard.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26Look, here's another signed Lowry.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29In fact, we've got a whole pile of them.
0:19:29 > 0:19:31You guessed it - they're fakes.
0:19:31 > 0:19:35If they were real, they could be worth thousands of pounds each.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38When it comes to art, the fakers are everywhere.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43From a Monet to a Michelangelo,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47fake art has been around almost as long as art.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51However, in recent years, fake art has taken on a more sinister trend,
0:19:51 > 0:19:56something art and antiques valuer Aubrey Dawson's seeing a lot more of.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01In the past, a lot of paintings were forged with the intent of trying
0:20:01 > 0:20:03to deceive the big museums, the big galleries
0:20:03 > 0:20:06and the people at the top of the art market.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Today, with the advent of the internet,
0:20:09 > 0:20:11pictures are far more available to the people on the street
0:20:11 > 0:20:14so forgers and fakers are not focusing so much
0:20:14 > 0:20:17on the Rembrandts, on Monets, on Picassos,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19they're focusing on smaller artists who are much easier to fake,
0:20:19 > 0:20:24lower prices and, as a result, people will buy them.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28So, online fake art sellers trying to swindle art lovers
0:20:28 > 0:20:32out of their hard-earned cash doesn't sound too good.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34What's worse, it looks like it's here to stay.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37To the fraudster, it's big business.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40We've seen a great influx from the Far East
0:20:40 > 0:20:41so, in some parts of China,
0:20:41 > 0:20:45there's whole cities dedicated to churning out fake paintings
0:20:45 > 0:20:48so the seller says it was found in an attic in the 1960s
0:20:48 > 0:20:52when, in reality, it was probably made last year in China.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56One of the few living artists to be targeted by the fakers
0:20:56 > 0:21:00is Ashley Jackson, a watercolour painter from Yorkshire.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04There are people in life who want an easy way out
0:21:04 > 0:21:06and this is their easy way out - fake everything.
0:21:06 > 0:21:09To me, they're killing an industry.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14And like a lot of things in the world of fakes,
0:21:14 > 0:21:19it all began with a tip-off, to Ashley's agent, Claudia.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23We received a phone call to the gallery from an anonymous caller,
0:21:23 > 0:21:26advising us that Ashley Jackson's work
0:21:26 > 0:21:28was being sold on an online auction site.
0:21:28 > 0:21:32There is a genuine resale market for Ashley Jackson originals,
0:21:32 > 0:21:36which can fetch tens of thousands of pounds.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39But when Claudia had a thumb through the adverts,
0:21:39 > 0:21:41she could tell something wasn't quite right.
0:21:41 > 0:21:47This one, its title is saying "original Ashley Jackson watercolour signed 1972".
0:21:47 > 0:21:50In terms of knowing it's a fake, it's poor composition
0:21:50 > 0:21:52and the signature is not Ashley's
0:21:52 > 0:21:55and it is just a poor, wishy-washy imitation.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01If Claudia's eagle eye wasn't enough to prove these paintings were fake,
0:22:01 > 0:22:03it was a howler the fraudster made
0:22:03 > 0:22:06which was the final nail in the coffin.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08One of the later drawings he's done,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11I think he found that the first one had sold so well
0:22:11 > 0:22:15that he'd reproduce a second one of the same image.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19He has reproduced an image and said it's an Ashley Jackson watercolour.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22His wording is that he's saying it is an original.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Now, the whole point of an original
0:22:24 > 0:22:27is there is only one of them ever made.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29It's got to be unique.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31The bloke churning out this fake art
0:22:31 > 0:22:34clearly had difficulty understanding that concept
0:22:34 > 0:22:37as he faked the same image twice.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42It's ridiculous to think he could even feel he could get away with it.
0:22:42 > 0:22:44His forging days were numbered
0:22:44 > 0:22:47as Claudia and Ashley reported the fakes to the police
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and the fraudster was swiftly collared and given a caution,
0:22:50 > 0:22:55along with a lifetime ban from eBay to stop him selling any more fakes.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58So when somebody says this is a faceless crime
0:22:58 > 0:23:01or a victimless crime, they're wrong, totally wrong
0:23:01 > 0:23:05because this person isn't just stealing his artwork and his name,
0:23:05 > 0:23:07he's stealing his life.
0:23:07 > 0:23:09And he's not the only thief.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11The more popular Ashley Jackson has become,
0:23:11 > 0:23:14the more fakes he's seen in circulation.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16We get a lot of people coming into the gallery
0:23:16 > 0:23:18and saying, "I've got an Ashley Jackson."
0:23:18 > 0:23:21I look at it and say, "I'm sorry, sir, it isn't an Ashley Jackson
0:23:21 > 0:23:25"because mine has got soul in it. That has got money in it."
0:23:25 > 0:23:30Unfortunately, the internet is awash with fake artwork.
0:23:30 > 0:23:34Today, Aubrey's off to meet author and lecturer Dr Richard Howells,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36whose fascination with the fakes
0:23:36 > 0:23:39inspired him to purchase a stack of artwork
0:23:39 > 0:23:43by the most faked British artist, LS Lowry.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45Over the last five years,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49Richard's bought around 25 or so fake sketches online,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52sold as being by the great, late Lowry.
0:23:52 > 0:23:54And there are a number of different ways
0:23:54 > 0:23:57the fraudsters make these fakes look like genuine artwork.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- A little look at this one here. - Oh, yeah, that's a winner.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04So we've got a nice little industrial scene with the tall chimneys
0:24:04 > 0:24:08and what looks like some Earl Grey has been...
0:24:09 > 0:24:14So, the fakers use the classic "let's make it look old" trick.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17But the materials are only half the battle.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18If a fake is to sell well,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21it needs a good old-fashioned story to go with it.
0:24:21 > 0:24:23The standard pitch would be,
0:24:23 > 0:24:26"This was an old attic find in Salford."
0:24:26 > 0:24:30"This turned up at a car-boot sale in Greater Manchester."
0:24:30 > 0:24:34So the pieces purport to have been found in or near Salford,
0:24:34 > 0:24:38which is where Lowry lived, to further convince you it is for real.
0:24:38 > 0:24:42I've seen fakes exactly like this and they've sold for big money.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45They've sold for 500, £1,000, £2,000.
0:24:45 > 0:24:48Richard may have bought his for fun,
0:24:48 > 0:24:52but for anyone else thinking about buying artwork online, be warned.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Your Manet might not be worth much Monet.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06Earlier, we saw how Scotch whisky has fallen foul of the fakers.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09It's not just the modern whiskies.
0:25:09 > 0:25:13In Blackpool, online whisky auctioneer Angus MacRaild
0:25:13 > 0:25:18deals in rare vintage whiskies, a commodity that is in great demand.
0:25:18 > 0:25:20Whisky, in general,
0:25:20 > 0:25:22particularly malt whiskies and vintage malt whiskies,
0:25:22 > 0:25:23in the last few years at auctions
0:25:23 > 0:25:25have been getting increasingly more valuable
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and prices are going up all the time.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30It's a problem now that, as more money comes into whisky,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33then certainly on the secondary market, the auction market,
0:25:33 > 0:25:34then more fake bottles appear.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Now, it's common for some genuinely old bottles
0:25:37 > 0:25:40to fetch thousands of pounds at auction,
0:25:40 > 0:25:42some even tens of thousands.
0:25:42 > 0:25:45But there are fakers out there buying empty antique bottles
0:25:45 > 0:25:48and refilling them with a modern liquid.
0:25:48 > 0:25:52And, as a result, collectors up and down the country
0:25:52 > 0:25:54are getting duped into buying
0:25:54 > 0:25:56what they think is a bottle of liquid history
0:25:56 > 0:26:00that turns out to be nothing more than a worthless fake.
0:26:00 > 0:26:04I can give you a couple of examples. We've got here a few Macallans.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08This one here, we know this is a fake.
0:26:08 > 0:26:09But to the outward eye, it looks OK.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11The untrained eye might just see that
0:26:11 > 0:26:15and think, "Yes, it's a bottle of Macallan, it's fine."
0:26:15 > 0:26:17But for an eagle-eyed auctioneer like Angus,
0:26:17 > 0:26:22there are a few telltale signs that the bottle's been refilled.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24First of all, the capsule looks pretty shoddy.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26It looks like it's been reworked to some extent.
0:26:26 > 0:26:28That's a really telltale sign
0:26:28 > 0:26:31because normally they should be very tight, very clean.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36- It's not the only way to spot the fakes.- If you give it a shake...
0:26:37 > 0:26:39..you get this froth that just sits there.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42The froth, or beading as it's known in the trade,
0:26:42 > 0:26:47indicates how strong the liquid inside the whisky bottle is.
0:26:47 > 0:26:50But when Angus compares the real one to the fake,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52it's pretty obvious which is which.
0:26:52 > 0:26:57You give them both a shake and you notice immediately the differences.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59The beading here dies down
0:26:59 > 0:27:02in concurrence with the 43% alcohol whisky.
0:27:02 > 0:27:03This... Who knows?
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Maybe it's single cask washing-up liquid, I don't know,
0:27:06 > 0:27:07but it's not the real deal.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11Being a fake, it's worth a couple of quid at most.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14If it was genuine, it would fetch around £700.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19But the effect is not just on the price of the whisky.
0:27:19 > 0:27:22In the last few years, Angus has noticed
0:27:22 > 0:27:26as the number of fake refilled bottles has gone up,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29so has the price for genuine empty bottles.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33Here's an empty bottle of Macallan Private Eye
0:27:33 > 0:27:38which is being sold online and the price that's being asked is £199.
0:27:38 > 0:27:41200 quid for an empty bottle does seem a touch steep,
0:27:41 > 0:27:45but if you scroll through the elaborate photo gallery and description,
0:27:45 > 0:27:48you'll find a rather interesting sales pitch.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50"Bottle is empty.
0:27:50 > 0:27:53"£1,500 when full." Check out Bonhams auction or something.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56If you click the link, lo and behold,
0:27:56 > 0:28:01you'll find a recent sale at auction where a full bottle fetched £1,500.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It's clear that they know what someone who buys it
0:28:04 > 0:28:06is probably going to do with it - refill it.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08199 buys you an empty one
0:28:08 > 0:28:11and if you've got the means to refill it and reseal it,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14then there's definite motivation there for people
0:28:14 > 0:28:17to go and fake the bottle and make money on it.
0:28:17 > 0:28:18Terrible!
0:28:24 > 0:28:27That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye!