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Brighton & Hove City Council’s Trading Standards team is urging customers to be on the alert for ‘counterfeit’ wine. The advice comes following incidents of cheap wine being passed off as more expensive brands, with counterfeit labels on the bottles.

Trading standards say the labels are good imitations of the real thing and the scam usually only comes to light when people taste the wine – and quickly realise it is cheap ‘plonk’ instead of a leading brand.

Trading standards officers have recently seized counterfeit wine from a number of independent off-licences in the city and say incidents appear to be on the increase. Investigations are ongoing into the source of the counterfeits and prosecutions are likely to follow.

They are reminding owners of licensed premises not to buy wines or spirits from an unofficial supplier as such products can be poor quality, potentially hazardous to health, and are often illegal.

The council’s Trading Standards team is working in partnership with wine companies, Sussex Police and HM Revenue and Customs to crackdown on counterfeit and illegal alcohol sales. Businesses found to be selling counterfeit or illegal alcohol risk prosecution with a resulting fine and could lose their alcohol licence.

Anyone who is concerned that they may have bought or have been offered counterfeit wine or any other illegal alcohol should contact Consumer Direct on 0845 4040506.

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