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! Open up!
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - Get on the floor!
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 > 0:00:29but don't be taken in
0:00:29 > 0:00:33because this is a house that's filled with fakes.
0:00:33 > 0:00:34In this series,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37I'll be revealing the counterfeits, copies and cons
0:00:37 > 0:00:40that are flooding the market, fooling the public,
0:00:40 > 0:00:45making money for the criminals and maybe even putting you in danger.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48We'll be investigating those fraudsters who are cashing in
0:00:48 > 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.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Today on Fake Britain,
0:00:57 > 0:01:01the fake safety marks on some of the UK's biggest e-cigarette brands...
0:01:01 > 0:01:04I expect to buy something, plug it in, it works,
0:01:04 > 0:01:08not to go through the hell that I have just been through.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11..the counterfeit hair curler that's too dangerous to use...
0:01:11 > 0:01:13There was no release function on it.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15The hair was completely jammed inside.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18It's 210 degrees it heats up to. So it was touching my scalp.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21..the fake dental drills destined for British surgeries...
0:01:21 > 0:01:24You have something the dentist will be using in your mouth
0:01:24 > 0:01:27that could break apart and you could swallow bits.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31For many smokers, stubbing out the habit isn't easy.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Some say this product,
0:01:33 > 0:01:36the e-cigarette, is helping them give up or cut down.
0:01:36 > 0:01:40We all know about the health issues associated with cigarette smoking,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43but Fake Britain has discovered that
0:01:43 > 0:01:47some e-cigarettes could be harmful in an entirely different way.
0:01:47 > 0:01:52E-cigarettes, as the name suggests, are an electronic product.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55The battery has to be recharged to use it.
0:01:55 > 0:02:00This certificate states that the brand named on it is safe to use,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02but the certificate's a fake.
0:02:02 > 0:02:04The product named may not be safe.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07That's just the start of the story.
0:02:07 > 0:02:09The number of people using e-cigarettes
0:02:09 > 0:02:12has tripled in the last two years.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16Currently, 2.1 million of us are using the devices.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19The manufacturers of e-cigs claim that their products
0:02:19 > 0:02:22are free of many of the harmful chemicals found in cigarettes,
0:02:22 > 0:02:24or rolling tobacco.
0:02:24 > 0:02:26The devices are credited by some people
0:02:26 > 0:02:29with helping them to quit smoking.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32E-cigarettes are electronic and need to be frequently charged.
0:02:32 > 0:02:36Users do this in much the same way as you would charge a mobile phone
0:02:36 > 0:02:39and that's where the problem starts.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42This barmaid narrowly escaped a serious injury
0:02:42 > 0:02:45when an e-cig being recharged exploded.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Nationwide, dozens of house fires have been started by e-cigarettes,
0:02:54 > 0:02:57including a recent fatality in Liverpool.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Many of the most popular e-cigarette brands have this safety mark
0:03:01 > 0:03:03on the back of the pack.
0:03:03 > 0:03:06Now, SGS is one of the world's biggest test houses.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09They certify thousands of different products,
0:03:09 > 0:03:10from bicycles to dishwashers.
0:03:12 > 0:03:16So this mark should be reassuring. So you might have thought...
0:03:20 > 0:03:23Aged just 43, Tracy Joiner suffered a heart attack
0:03:23 > 0:03:26and was advised to give up smoking immediately.
0:03:26 > 0:03:30Tracy knew she had to find a way to kick the habit,
0:03:30 > 0:03:32but quitting proved tough.
0:03:32 > 0:03:36I was lying awake at night craving, still, for a cigarette.
0:03:36 > 0:03:41She turned to e-cigs, believing them to be a healthier option than tobacco.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45I found these e-cigarettes and, to me, it was like a godsend.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50One day, Tracy needed a new e-cigarette,
0:03:50 > 0:03:54so she drove to a nearby newsagent and bought a popular brand.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00My local newsagent had actually got this e-cigarette in.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03I thought, "Yeah, I've heard of that make, it's meant to be a good make,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06so I paid my 20 quid, got my e-cigarette,
0:04:06 > 0:04:10and then I came home that night and charged it up.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Following the instructions on the packaging, Tracy charged up
0:04:14 > 0:04:18her e-cig with the USB connector provided with the kit.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20Then she went to bed.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26But an hour later, she was woken up by a burning sensation in her foot.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30My foot were hanging off the edge of the bed, where the bedframe was on fire.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34I turned on the light and my bedroom were going up in flames.
0:04:34 > 0:04:38I just ran to the bathroom, got the bath tap running,
0:04:38 > 0:04:40just chucking water everywhere, trying to put the flames out.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Then I rang the fire brigade.
0:04:42 > 0:04:46Tracy managed to put out the fire but not before flames
0:04:46 > 0:04:49from the burning bed had spread through her home.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52This room were gutted, the landing, the bathroom.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55Fortunately, Tracy was able to act quickly.
0:04:55 > 0:04:56I were very lucky.
0:04:56 > 0:05:00The fire brigade said the smoke would have got me, if not the flames.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03I was lucky to get out alive.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09The local fire and rescue team investigated the cause
0:05:09 > 0:05:12of the fire and confirmed that the device Tracy purchased
0:05:12 > 0:05:16was from an established brand which was sold nationwide.
0:05:16 > 0:05:20Tracy had used the device as directed by the instructions.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25Like many e-cig brands available at newsagents,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28garages and supermarkets across the UK,
0:05:28 > 0:05:33the packaging on Tracy's device stated it had been tested by SGS.
0:05:34 > 0:05:38SGS is an international test house, which tests
0:05:38 > 0:05:41and certifies hundreds of household products every year.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44Their mark indicates the product has been assessed
0:05:44 > 0:05:47and approved by safety specialists.
0:05:47 > 0:05:51It's a guarantee of quality which assures retailers,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53from local shops to our biggest supermarkets,
0:05:53 > 0:05:55that they're selling a safe
0:05:55 > 0:05:57and rigorously tested product.
0:05:57 > 0:06:00But Steve Elliot, head of corporate security at SGS,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02has a shocking revelation.
0:06:04 > 0:06:07One of the very few products that we do not test
0:06:07 > 0:06:10just so happens to be electronic cigarettes.
0:06:10 > 0:06:13We've made that decision globally. We've decided not
0:06:13 > 0:06:14to be involved in that market.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18We don't test any electronic cigarettes, anywhere in the world.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19So it is very clear to us,
0:06:19 > 0:06:23where we see our name appearing on packaging, and where it appears
0:06:23 > 0:06:28that those products have been testing by us, that advertising is false.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32SGS was so horrified to see their safety marking
0:06:32 > 0:06:36being abused in this way that they hired Lele Baume, a researcher
0:06:36 > 0:06:40specialising in online fraud, to investigate.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Lele started by examining adverts on Chinese websites which were
0:06:43 > 0:06:47falsely stating their e-cigarette was SGS approved.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50The scale of what she found was astonishing.
0:06:51 > 0:06:56It was enormous. It was the biggest case we have ever had and ever seen.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59It was millions of ads, literally.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02We've taken down millions of ads but there are still some
0:07:02 > 0:07:06ads out there with e-cigarettes referring to SGS,
0:07:06 > 0:07:07but we're getting there.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10These websites were selling consignments of e-cigs
0:07:10 > 0:07:14to retailers across the world, including here in the UK.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18When we get the physical products being sold in the UK,
0:07:18 > 0:07:21we can see the same SGS logo on the packaging, which is scary.
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Then it's not only referring in the text in the ad,
0:07:24 > 0:07:27it is actually on the product as well.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31And when Lele delved further, she found Chinese manufacturers
0:07:31 > 0:07:35had actually been creating fake SGS safety certificates.
0:07:35 > 0:07:40Here's some examples of certificates that are fake.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Companies selling e-cigarettes on B-to-B sites are using these kind of certificates.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48We sometimes even find the same certificate being used over and over again.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52SGS checked and quickly confirmed Lele's findings.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56What I have here is a genuine SGS certificate. This is a blank one.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59We haven't yet printed the results of the inspection onto it.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04This certificate has several security features on it, similar to those on a banknote.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08When we're asked to confirm whether a certificate is genuine or not,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10we will start by looking for those security features
0:08:10 > 0:08:13before we then go to the trader and ask them to prove
0:08:13 > 0:08:17that they were actually subject to an SGS inspection.
0:08:17 > 0:08:19What I also have here is another certificate.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This one relates to an electronic cigarette product,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25but this certificate is not genuine.
0:08:25 > 0:08:27It appears to be genuine, but it's not.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29The security features on here do not match those
0:08:29 > 0:08:33on our genuine certificate and the content itself,
0:08:33 > 0:08:36when we have checked the content, the content is not true.
0:08:36 > 0:08:38So this is a fake one.
0:08:38 > 0:08:39This is a genuine one.
0:08:42 > 0:08:46Clearly, it's the explosive potential of e-cigs which makes
0:08:46 > 0:08:49the use of a fake safety mark so alarming.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54While fires from real cigarettes remain by some distance
0:08:54 > 0:08:57the most likely cause of a house fire, the fire and rescue service
0:08:57 > 0:09:00are increasingly concerned about the dangers of e-cigs.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Mark Hazelton is reviewing the service's national policy on e-cigarettes
0:09:06 > 0:09:10and he is alarmed by the number of incidents nationwide.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14There have been 70 fires attributable to these e-smoking products.
0:09:14 > 0:09:1611 of those have resulted in injuries
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and we know there has now been one fire fatality.
0:09:20 > 0:09:21And the explosion at Tracy's house
0:09:21 > 0:09:25is typical of many of the cases that Mark knows about.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28When a lithium battery catches fire, it's like a firework,
0:09:28 > 0:09:33it heats up and then fires a cone of hot embers two or three feet away from the original device.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35You've got a hot spot where the device is
0:09:35 > 0:09:37and then that hot spray of embers
0:09:37 > 0:09:39can go forward and that can catch carpet,
0:09:39 > 0:09:43could catch furniture, bedding - anything that's in its path.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46Electrical safety expert Steve Curtler has spent months
0:09:46 > 0:09:50investigating why e-cigs are exploding.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Steve's convinced that substandard batteries
0:09:53 > 0:09:56are a significant part of the problem.
0:09:56 > 0:09:58When the battery is substandard,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01it hasn't got protection circuits, anything slightly higher
0:10:01 > 0:10:05than what they should be charged at can overheat the battery and cause an explosion.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09As with other electronic rechargeable devices,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13e-cigs are built to cut out when they are fully charged.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14It's a simple safety feature
0:10:14 > 0:10:18which stops electronic products from overcharging.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Recently, Steve ran a safety test on a battery
0:10:20 > 0:10:22which came from an e-cig kit,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25with the fake SGS safety marking on it.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27And this was the result.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32As you can see, the battery itself has completely disintegrated.
0:10:32 > 0:10:37It was launched out of the cap that holds the battery, like a firework.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40If it goes off in your house, whatever it comes into contact with,
0:10:40 > 0:10:43combustible materials, it's just going to set light to it.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45So you've got no chance.
0:10:45 > 0:10:49For Steve, use of the SGS safety mark on products which could
0:10:49 > 0:10:53contain substandard circuitry is deeply disturbing.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57It's extremely alarming to see product safety marks
0:10:57 > 0:10:59being used in that way.
0:10:59 > 0:11:02Consumers rely on them, retailers rely on them,
0:11:02 > 0:11:04to say that a product is safe.
0:11:04 > 0:11:07The public need to be able to rely on the safety standards
0:11:07 > 0:11:10that all of us have worked really hard to establish
0:11:10 > 0:11:13make sure they can go into any shop and buy a product that's safe.
0:11:13 > 0:11:17Understandably, Steve Elliot at SGS wants to see the products
0:11:17 > 0:11:19taken off the shelves.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22Where they claim to have been checked by us and they're not,
0:11:22 > 0:11:25then we don't think those products should be on the shelf.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27We don't think consumers should be misled.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31We think whatever appears on the shelf should be what it claims to be.
0:11:31 > 0:11:35We informed ECITA, the industry association which represents
0:11:35 > 0:11:40several major e-cig brands, about our findings.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44We found one of their members was misusing the SGS safety mark.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49The association president is Katherine Devlin.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52It may well be appropriate for products to be
0:11:52 > 0:11:53withdrawn from the market
0:11:53 > 0:11:56on the basis that they're misleading consumers
0:11:56 > 0:11:58by having that mark applied inappropriately.
0:11:58 > 0:12:01With our members, we will make sure that none of them are using the mark
0:12:01 > 0:12:05and, if they are doing so, we expect those products to be withdrawn.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09The e-cig brands which aren't part of the association will be
0:12:09 > 0:12:12contacted directly by SGS.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16But for Tracy and dozens of other e-cig users,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19these changes have come too late.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22Understandably, Tracy remains angry about the fakery
0:12:22 > 0:12:25and the danger it exposed her to.
0:12:25 > 0:12:28I expect to buy something, plug it in, and it works,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30not to go through the hell that I've been through.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35I thought I was paying good money for a good product. I didn't expect that.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43The British beauty business is estimated
0:12:43 > 0:12:46to be worth £17 billion
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and it employs a million people here in the UK.
0:12:49 > 0:12:51So when a new product hits the shelves,
0:12:51 > 0:12:56often the fakers aren't far behind, because there's money to be made.
0:12:56 > 0:13:00At first glance, this looks like the latest haircare product.
0:13:00 > 0:13:04It says it uses pioneering technology to create curls
0:13:04 > 0:13:07but put your hair in this and you might not get it back again.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09It's a fake,
0:13:09 > 0:13:12and as we've discovered, it's also very dangerous.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Previously on Fake Britain, we've seen popular beauty products
0:13:18 > 0:13:20being targeted by the fakers.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24Industry experts believe this GHD hair straightener is the most
0:13:24 > 0:13:28frequently faked hairstyling product of all time.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31But that might be about to change.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35Launched with a glossy marketing campaign, BaByliss's new
0:13:35 > 0:13:36hair-curling product soon attracted
0:13:36 > 0:13:39the attention of China's counterfeiters.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43The curler retails at around £120.
0:13:43 > 0:13:45And inside the product is a microchip,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48which, the company claims, can detect the exact point
0:13:48 > 0:13:51at which the gathered hair should be released.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Ian Nuttall, MD at BaByliss,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59invested hundreds of thousands of pounds to make sure the product,
0:13:59 > 0:14:01which can reach temperatures of over 200 degrees,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03was safe.
0:14:04 > 0:14:09We spent almost five years getting the technology right.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12This is what I would call probably one of THE first smart products
0:14:12 > 0:14:14within the hair care market.
0:14:14 > 0:14:16And the software that's gone into that
0:14:16 > 0:14:21to be able to ensure that the safety aspects are second to none
0:14:21 > 0:14:23took a lot of development time
0:14:23 > 0:14:25to be able to ensure that we got it right.
0:14:27 > 0:14:30The company was delighted with early sales,
0:14:30 > 0:14:34but soon the customer services team began receiving dozens of complaints
0:14:34 > 0:14:36about faulty items.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38The product had been faked.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45Around the time BaByliss first learnt its curler was being faked,
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Lorraine Morgan, a senior nurse from Fife in Scotland,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52was searching for a gift for her twin daughters.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55This thing was advertised on the TV, which looks fantastic.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58The girls at the time, my twin daughters, were 13,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01were right into curling their hair, because that's the fashion at the moment.
0:15:01 > 0:15:03But it was already mid-December
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and so Lorraine and her mum
0:15:05 > 0:15:08didn't have long to get hold of the Curl Secret.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11It was really close to Christmas, so I didn't think there'd be any left.
0:15:11 > 0:15:13So my mum had looked online and she'd checked eBay
0:15:13 > 0:15:15and because we'd both used eBay in the past,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17we didn't think there would be a problem.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21And there was quite a few people actually selling on eBay, but this one chap had six products left.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24eBay have stars and they tell you if it's a good seller or not.
0:15:24 > 0:15:26And he was a good seller.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27So that's why we chose him.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32It arrived within two days.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33Package for you.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36So it arrived in plenty of time for Christmas.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40We've got lots of BaByliss products in the house
0:15:40 > 0:15:42and it looked completely authentic.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45When the time finally came to open presents,
0:15:45 > 0:15:48Lorraine's twin daughters were thrilled with their gift.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50Because it was quite an expensive product,
0:15:50 > 0:15:52they weren't expecting to get this,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54so they were ecstatic.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56And they couldn't wait to try it out...
0:15:56 > 0:15:58on Mum.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00They both wanted to have a shot at the same time,
0:16:00 > 0:16:02so they used me as the model,
0:16:02 > 0:16:05so they could both have a go and practise making the curls.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08The first curl came out OK,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10but then something went horribly wrong.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13It didn't do anything, it didn't release my hair.
0:16:13 > 0:16:15While the first one had come out quite freely,
0:16:15 > 0:16:17this just didn't come out.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20So I just gave it a gentle tug - I didn't realise there was a problem -
0:16:20 > 0:16:23and then it just didn't come out. It was completely jammed.
0:16:23 > 0:16:24The girls are 13,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26so one of them was holding it
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and her wrist went down a little bit
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and it touched my head and burnt my scalp.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34She was at the same time trying to get the hair out.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Her sister got upset and she ran away.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40So my sister came to help and they just couldn't get the hair out.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43So they switched it off at the plug to cool it down
0:16:43 > 0:16:47and then spent about 40 minutes trying to detangle, because it was such a big section of hair.
0:16:47 > 0:16:50Otherwise, I was going to have a bald patch.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52By this time it was really, really painful
0:16:52 > 0:16:54because the weight of this was hanging from my head.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56In the end, they cut my hair off.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00In addition to suffering a serious burn,
0:17:00 > 0:17:04Lorraine's Christmas celebrations came to an abrupt halt.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07Well, it ruined the night because my mum was sitting there upset
0:17:07 > 0:17:09because her granddaughters were upset.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12Feeling it was her fault because she'd bought the faulty products.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15I was a bit upset as well, and the twins were a bit traumatised,
0:17:15 > 0:17:18so they just went up to their room after that.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23The following day, Lorraine called the BaByliss customer hotline.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26Good afternoon, BaByliss UK. Jenny speaking, how can I help?
0:17:26 > 0:17:29Do you know which curlers it is that she's bought?
0:17:29 > 0:17:30As soon as I started to tell the story,
0:17:30 > 0:17:33she said straight away it was counterfeit.
0:17:33 > 0:17:35She quickly said could I post it back to them, which I then did.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41The fake curler, including the trapped lock of Lorraine's hair,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44was sent to John Morrell, head of Technical Services at BaByliss.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48It proved be one of dozens of fakes sent to the company.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51Prior to Christmas, John was receiving as many as six a day.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57We asked John to show us how both the fake and the real product work.
0:17:59 > 0:18:00We've taken a journey -
0:18:00 > 0:18:03we have cut away top so you can see the action inside.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06We're going to apply plenty of hair and a lot of tension.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09Just squeeze and the hair gets pulled in
0:18:09 > 0:18:11and forms a curl over the heater.
0:18:13 > 0:18:14MACHINE BEEPS
0:18:14 > 0:18:17Then...release for a perfect curl.
0:18:19 > 0:18:23Now, that's achieved via electronics within the product,
0:18:23 > 0:18:27a microchip that is programmed to instantly detect
0:18:27 > 0:18:31the tension in the hair and reverse the motor.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35On the fake product, that just does not happen.
0:18:35 > 0:18:36We put the same piece of hair in,
0:18:36 > 0:18:39we squeeze...
0:18:39 > 0:18:41It just keeps pulling and pulling and pulling.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44You see? The hair's being pulled in all the time.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46And...
0:18:46 > 0:18:48is now completely caught.
0:18:48 > 0:18:50The only way to get that hair out now
0:18:50 > 0:18:53is to cut it off the way that Mrs Morgan had to.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Lorraine's mum never got back the £90
0:18:58 > 0:19:00she spent on the fake curler
0:19:00 > 0:19:02and while the Morgan's Christmas was ruined,
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Lorraine remains thankful the situation wasn't even more serious.
0:19:07 > 0:19:09It was very, very painful.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12So for a child to endure a burn like that...
0:19:12 > 0:19:15I was just greatly relieved it was myself and not one of the girls.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22No-one enjoys it,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25but thousands of us face it every week...
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's the dreaded dentist's drill.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30We trust our dentists. They're highly qualified
0:19:30 > 0:19:33and they'll no doubt be using the latest professional equipment,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35just like these drills.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38They were bought by an unsuspecting British dentist,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41but fortunately, were never used on a patient.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43They're fake and as we discovered,
0:19:43 > 0:19:47they shouldn't get anywhere near anyone's teeth.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52The dental tools market here in the UK is thought to be worth
0:19:52 > 0:19:55over £500 million every year.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58And where there's serious money to be made,
0:19:58 > 0:20:00of course, the fakers aren't far behind.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03As we've seen previously on Fake Britain,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06counterfeit dental equipment has found its way into British surgeries,
0:20:06 > 0:20:09with frightening consequences.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12These fake lights, used to set fillings, could harm teeth
0:20:12 > 0:20:17and this counterfeit handheld X-ray machine emits harmful levels of radiation.
0:20:19 > 0:20:21But for the first time,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24dental drills are being targeted by the fakers.
0:20:24 > 0:20:27And Danny Lee-Frost from the MHRA,
0:20:27 > 0:20:31the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency,
0:20:31 > 0:20:34recently discovered how dentists are being duped
0:20:34 > 0:20:36when they buy these drills online.
0:20:37 > 0:20:41These were purchased by a dentist from a Chinese-based website.
0:20:41 > 0:20:44He thought he was buying from a UK-based website,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46used them in his practice.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Clearly these drills look convincing.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51This is a very sophisticated product.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55They are substantial in weight, it's a very high degree of machine tooling involved.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58They are highly polished, they look the part.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00If a dentist ordered these over the internet,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03thinking he was buying the genuine, and these arrived in a parcel,
0:21:03 > 0:21:06there'd be no way you could tell that these weren't genuine
0:21:06 > 0:21:07until he started using them
0:21:07 > 0:21:10and then the problems would start to occur.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14The issues with the product started almost immediately.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16They didn't work correctly,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19so the dentist assumed they needed a repair.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22He contacted NSK, who manufacture the drills...
0:21:24 > 0:21:26So he sent them to the genuine manufacturer,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29who quite rightly said, "Well, these are not ours.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31"We didn't make these."
0:21:31 > 0:21:34We were then notified and the investigation started from there.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38It's the level of sophistication being employed by the fakers
0:21:38 > 0:21:40that alarms Danny.
0:21:40 > 0:21:41The dentist was completely unaware.
0:21:41 > 0:21:43He thought he was buying the genuine product.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Obviously, he was looking for the genuine product,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49the website was advertising what he thought was the genuine product.
0:21:49 > 0:21:52He was completely taken in, completely taken unawares.
0:21:52 > 0:21:54This dentist was not alone.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57The MHRA had several reports of counterfeit drills
0:21:57 > 0:22:00just like this one being brought by dentists.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03In one case, the drill fell apart in the patient's mouth,
0:22:03 > 0:22:05mid-surgery.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07That does fill us with some alarm,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10that there were other dentists out there doing the same thing -
0:22:10 > 0:22:12albeit unwittingly - using fake,
0:22:12 > 0:22:16counterfeit equipment on patients.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Soon after the NSK fakes emerged,
0:22:18 > 0:22:22a more complex case involving a British supplier of dental equipment
0:22:22 > 0:22:24came to the MHRA's attention.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28A British company visiting overseas trade events
0:22:28 > 0:22:33was duped into buying an unlicensed and untested product.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35So what we've got here
0:22:35 > 0:22:38are a couple of brochures
0:22:38 > 0:22:41from Chinese manufacturers of dental medical equipment.
0:22:41 > 0:22:45And what would happen is UK medical supply companies will attend
0:22:45 > 0:22:48trade fairs in China, for example,
0:22:48 > 0:22:51be approached by these types of manufacturers
0:22:51 > 0:22:54who will offer to manufacture these dental drills and other components,
0:22:54 > 0:22:59but put the supply company's details and branding on the product,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02so when they are imported into the UK, essentially,
0:23:02 > 0:23:06it is now a branded product for that supply company.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10The manufacturer will also supply the CE marked certificate
0:23:10 > 0:23:12to show that it's been through a notified body,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14so it's got EU approval.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16That it's been tested and meets all the quality standards
0:23:16 > 0:23:19for a dental product.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Any supplier of dental devices to the UK market
0:23:22 > 0:23:25will need to see a certificate stating the product has been tested
0:23:25 > 0:23:28and meets required safety standards.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31In this case, the British company WAS given a certificate,
0:23:31 > 0:23:33but it was a fake.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36It purports to be from a European approval body,
0:23:36 > 0:23:38based in Germany.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41To our investigator, one glance at this said that it was counterfeit.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44There were too many mistakes on this certificate.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48But the medical supplies company who bought the products,
0:23:48 > 0:23:51had them shipped to the UK, were supplied with this certificate -
0:23:51 > 0:23:54they think everything's fine and as it should be.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59It's the first time the MHRA have discovered fake certificates
0:23:59 > 0:24:03being used to dupe British companies into buying untested
0:24:03 > 0:24:05and unapproved dental equipment.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Fortunately, the MHRA acted quickly
0:24:09 > 0:24:12and seized over 300 of these unapproved drills,
0:24:12 > 0:24:16days before they were to be sent out to dentists across the UK.
0:24:16 > 0:24:19However, the MHRA fear British dentists
0:24:19 > 0:24:23could still be fooled into buying the NSK counterfeit.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Clearly, these fakes are dangerous.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28They've never been properly tested until now.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31We asked Professor Damien Walmsley
0:24:31 > 0:24:33at the Birmingham School of Dentistry
0:24:33 > 0:24:36to test the counterfeit drill against a real one.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41I've got two of the hand pieces here
0:24:41 > 0:24:44and, initial glance, they look like the same thing.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46They both have the same markings on.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49It's only when you get to closer inspection
0:24:49 > 0:24:52that you notice that the real one...
0:24:52 > 0:24:54The metal is much sleeker,
0:24:54 > 0:24:59nicely finished and you can tell it's a piece of precision engineering.
0:24:59 > 0:25:03The marking itself - it's particularly difficult to work out the difference,
0:25:03 > 0:25:04because the marking looks very good.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07If I look at this, they just look very similar,
0:25:07 > 0:25:10the font they use is different to the fake,
0:25:10 > 0:25:12but it has numbers,
0:25:12 > 0:25:15it has the brand, it says where it's from.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18Both of them have the same, except they're just orientated differently.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21As a dentist, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
0:25:23 > 0:25:25I've shown these fakes around to many people
0:25:25 > 0:25:27and they're just amazed.
0:25:27 > 0:25:30People who actually service them, people within our own hospital
0:25:30 > 0:25:32looking at them say, "That is absolutely amazing."
0:25:32 > 0:25:35It just looks like the real thing.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So, the two drills look very similar.
0:25:38 > 0:25:39How do they perform?
0:25:40 > 0:25:42Well, that's awful.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44That really is awful.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47That's terrible! I could feel it loosen as I'm using it.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49I've just had to retighten it.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53So the whole thing is vibrating itself loose in the patient's mouth.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56This is going to be disastrous if it's used in a patient.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Birmingham School of Dentistry have the UK's
0:25:59 > 0:26:01only scanning laser vibrometer
0:26:01 > 0:26:04capable of testing dental equipment.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06The drills are like a spinning top.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08They're designed to spin around on themselves.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11There shouldn't be any movement side to side with them,
0:26:11 > 0:26:12there should be a perfect spin
0:26:12 > 0:26:16and if there's anything wrong with the machinery or the mechanism of it,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19then we know straight away that there could be problems with the drill.
0:26:21 > 0:26:24First up is a genuine dental drill.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26We can see only a small amount of vibration.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29The scale is quite small on that.
0:26:29 > 0:26:31There is a little bit of side to side motion,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34but it's predominantly working well.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36We are seeing a little bit of side to side,
0:26:36 > 0:26:39but we know the thing is spinning so well that it's not rattling.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42We're looking at the rattle, but we don't want that to happen.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44These should be made so precisely
0:26:44 > 0:26:46that the actual spin is right down
0:26:46 > 0:26:49the length of the shaft of the drill.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52Now the laser locks on to the fake.
0:26:52 > 0:26:54Wow!
0:26:54 > 0:26:56So much vibration happening with it now.
0:26:56 > 0:26:58It's completely different to the NSK.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00It's actually rattling.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05I suspect what's happening is that the whole hand-piece is loosening
0:27:05 > 0:27:07the more we are using it.
0:27:07 > 0:27:09And this would be loosening in the patient's mouth.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12It's getting worse now.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15What we are finding is that we see a difference.
0:27:15 > 0:27:16So if we look at the bottom graph,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20here it's about 0.2 of a unit of vibration.
0:27:20 > 0:27:22If we come up to the top one,
0:27:22 > 0:27:26we've got from 0 to about 60 units of vibration,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29well over a hundredfold difference between the two.
0:27:29 > 0:27:31And what's more worrying
0:27:31 > 0:27:34is this is only an initial recording at the start.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37We had so much vibration, it went of the scale
0:27:37 > 0:27:40and therefore it was not able to measure
0:27:40 > 0:27:43the amount of vibration as that fake was working more.
0:27:45 > 0:27:48The difference in performance is colossal.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50Professor Walmsley is in no doubt about
0:27:50 > 0:27:52just how dangerous the counterfeit could be.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56They look just like the real drill.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59However, when they are being used in the patient's mouth,
0:27:59 > 0:28:01that's where the danger is.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03They're going to come loose,
0:28:03 > 0:28:05parts are going to come flying off them
0:28:05 > 0:28:08and then they could damage the patient's mouth.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10But the worry is if they swallow them
0:28:10 > 0:28:13or the really serious consequence is if they inhale them
0:28:13 > 0:28:15and they get into the lungs.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17That could be potentially life-threatening.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.