Wine scam probe after store raid in county

A NATIONWIDE wine racket is thought to be operating in North Yorkshire after counterfeit bottles were seized in a raid on a store in Selby.

Trading standards officers from North Yorkshire County Council revealed yesterday that they are liaising with colleagues to establish if the 15 counterfeit bottles of wine are linked to the nationwide scam.

The bottles of Shiraz, Merlot, Semillon Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon Chardonnay were taken away for testing after a customer reported concerns about a £6.99 bottle she had bought. She complained the wine tasted bad and she had concerns about its authenticity.

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The Food Standards Agency issued a warning in March about counterfeit bottles of Jacobs Creek being sold in the south of England.

Counterfeit wine has been seized in Brighton, London and Surrey, although this is the first time that bottles have been found for sale in Yorkshire.

The head of fraud and financial investigations at North Yorkshire County Council’s trading standards department, Ruth Andrews, confirmed that the owner of the Selby shop, which has not been identified, is facing prosecution.

Repeat offenders face fines running into thousands of pounds or even a custodial sentence.

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Tests carried out on previous seizures have revealed that the counterfeit wine does not pose a health risk to anyone who drinks it, although it is of an inferior quality with a bad taste.

But the county council has submitted samples from the latest seizure for testing to ensure that there are no health risks.

Consumers have been urged to look out for spelling mistakes on the label on the back of each counterfeit bottle.

In the small print “WINE OF AUSTRLIA” appears, where the word “Australia” is missing an “a”. A caption advertising the website, www.drinkaware.co.uk, is actually spelt www.drinkoware.co.uk