Fans have been warned about the dangers of buying fake football shirts (Image: Getty)
Fans in the UK have been warned against buying fake football shirts due to the increased fire risk posed by counterfeit goods. Purchasing fake shirts has become increasingly common in recent years, with many customers unable to afford genuine kits. There was a spike in production of counterfeit shirts during the World Cup and many were seized by police upon arrival in the UK.
More than 220,000 pieces of football merchandise were recovered by the Police Intellectual Crime Unit as part of Operation Bloxwich, an enforcement effort targeting counterfeit goods. The total value of the seized goods exceeded £18million, according to BBC Sport. One raid involved 1,618 fake football shirts being taken from a warehouse in Birmingham.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk, City of London Police, pointed out how the safety risks involved are usually overlooked by customers.
He said: “I understand why people want to buy these shirts, people love football and the incentive is the lower price, but these shirts, they’re not regulated and could be highly flammable.
“They have dyes in them which could be harmful to skin, particularly children’s skin. While the cost is lower, and that’s the attractive part, potential damages to you and the people making them is just far too high.”
A test carried out by Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service found that counterfeit shirts were significantly more flammable than genuine ones.
Watch manager Dave Jackson explained: “It’s quite clear that the counterfeit one melted as soon as the burner went on it. I really had to try to make the genuine one ignite and melt.
“It’s extremely dangerous. It’s something that can cause horrific injuries to your children. It’s just not worth the savings.”
Fake shirts can be extremely flammable and are not officially regulated (Image: GETTY)
Kate Caffrey, head of intelligence at the Intellectual Property Office, added that fake shirts are not regulated in the same way as genuine goods.
She also pointed out that buying counterfeit goods generates money for organised crime groups, who may use the funds to support other, more sinister activities.
“Counterfeit strips are not subject to health and safety regulations, British standards [or] EU standards,” said Caffrey.
“We’ve got evidence that counterfeit goods are made in appalling conditions, so you just don’t know what’s in them, how they’re being made and there’s no way of providing any safety reassurances.
“Counterfeiting is criminal, these are manufactured and supplied by criminal networks, criminal gangs, and they’re very adept at targeting markets where there’s demand.
“So the World Cup, the forthcoming Premier League season, they’re going to flood the market with fake shirts. The price of a fake shirt, you don’t know what you’re funding with that money.”
EXPRESS SPORT ON FB! Get all the best sports news and much more on our Facebook page.