TRADING standards officers have issued a timely warning to members of the public to stay vigilant for dodgy devices and chargers.

With countless mobile phones, tablets and games consoles given as gifts or snapped up in the festive sales, many households across Renfrewshire and East Renfrewshire will have new electrical items.

And it is feared some of this equipment could be fake, posing serious safety risks.

People are being urged to check for tell-tale signs of counterfeiting, as mistakes in brand names or logos could suggest a device harbours hidden dangers.

Councillor Eddie Devine, convener of Renfrewshire’s environment policy board, said: “We are all tempted by a bargain and most of us trust that what we buy will be safe but, unfortunately, counterfeit goods make their way into circulation.

“These may seem like a great deal but many will fail very basic safety requirements. They may be prone to overheating and that could cause a fire with potentially tragic consequences.”

People are also being warned that the use of high-quality electrical devices can be made dangerous if they are powered by fake chargers or plugs.

An investigation targeting counterfeit chargers marketed for use with Apple devices found 99 per cent failed a basic safety test, revealing many of the fake power adaptors bought online posed a risk of electric shock.

Councillor Devine added: “If the price of an electrical device or charger looks just too good to be true and if the seller isn’t familiar to us, then we really need to consider if it’s genuine – and make a decision we can live with.”