Dozens of Croydon revellers found themselves toasting 2002 with fermented pear juice instead of champagne, after a trader sold bottles of fake bubbly to six Croydon off-licences.

The bubble burst for trader Richard John Bentley of Keston Avenue, Old Coulsdon last week when he appeared before Croydon Magistrates' Court to plead guilty to eight offences under the Trade Descriptions Act, Food Safety Act and European Communities Act. He was fined £40 for each offence and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £1,250; a total of £1,560.

The fake champagne (actually fermented pear juice) had been supplied to and sold by several off -licences in Croydon over a period of several months up until January 2001. Dozens of bottles were sold to unsuspecting local people.

Trading standards officers discovered the problem during other investigations and found the fake champagne was being sold in at least six different off-licences in Croydon. Investigations revealed that one man had supplied all the shops involved.

Councillor Maggie Mansell, cabinet member for public protection and health, said: "This is another example of local people being deceived into paying over the odds for products which are simply not what they claim to be. In this case people were buying and paying for what they believed was champagne when in fact all they got was an inferior fermented pear juice.

"This is yet another success in the council's campaign to protect local consumers and thanks to the efforts of the trading standards service this particular con has had its bubble burst."

Anyone who suspects that goods they have been offered may be fakes should ring the council's trading standards service on 020 8407 1310 .