The hidden perils of Christmas

But, on closer inspection, trading standards officers noticed there was nothing in the instructions to warn the contents were highly flammable.

When the can was tested in a laboratory, flames shot across the room as soon as the contents were sprayed over a blow torch.

John Peerless, manager of trading standards in Brighton and Hove, said: "Many cans like this contain butane propellant and are highly flammable, which is not illegal in itself.

"But it does breach the safety regulations if there is no warning on the tin. In this case we advised the retailer about the potential danger and contacted trading standards in the area where the product came into the country."

A big slice of their work at Christmas involves checking instructions and safety standards.

Common problems are with fairy lights, decorations and the wide range of novelty gifts in shops.

Recent complaints have included novelty-coloured contact lenses, which irritate the eyes if not used properly; a voodoo doll. which one member of the public thought was immoral; and syringe pens, which youngsters were using to bully others.

Many of these items may not be illegal but manufacturers are urged to put clear instructions or warnings on packaging and to identify which age group the product is aimed at.

These days unsafe toys are not as big a problem as they once were but instructions for use are not always as clear as they could be.

Mr Peerless said: "The greatest danger is parents giving unsuitable toys to very young children. For example, Lego bricks can be dangerous to toddlers but that's no reason to ban Lego. People need to be sensible."

A more common problem involves goods which are made to look, smell, or taste like food. Officers recently seized a box of fridge magnets from a shop in Brighton because they looked exactly like a selection of luxury chocolates.

Mr Peerless said: "The danger was that children could be confused and swallow these magnets."

Another problem faced by inspectors are electrical items imported from the Continent and fitted with two-pin plugs rather than the UK's three-pin variety.

Mr Peerless said: "The trouble is that they are not fused and if there is a short circuit in the system the wires could overheat, causing a fire."

Trading standards officers discovered a toaster being sold in a designer shop in The Lanes which had been imported from France fitted with a two-pin plug.

The fault was pointed out to the shop manager who agreed to return them to the manufacturer.

Mr Peerless said: "Most retailers are very cooperative. Often they do not realise themselves that they are breaking the rules."

Trading standards officers have a range of equipment to use on products suspected of being illegal, including electrical testing units, sharp-edge testers, probes the size of a child's finger and kits to test for genuine gold or silver.

If a product is deemed unsafe, officers have the authority to seize the item and, depending on the seriousness of the offence, the retailer can be prosecuted and fined up to £5,000 for each offence.

Mr Peerless said: "We carry out inspections all year but at Christmas we tend to target the many temporary shops that open. That's not to say what they are doing is wrong. It's just sometimes hard to keep track of them because they come and go."

In addition to testing the safety of Christmas products, officers carry out inspections at bars and clubs to ensure drinks are not being watered down or substituted for cheaper brands.

The Argus went to a routine inspection of The Great Clearance Store in North Street with Nigel Haines, senior trading standards officer at the council.

The shop is run by Terry Gray and his sister Lise Reynolds, who open a store in Brighton every Christmas selling gifts.

During the inspection, electrical goods and toys were checked to make sure they had the CE safety mark, a declaration by manufacturers to indicate products comply with European safety standards.

Party poppers were examined to ensure they included warnings demanded under the Explosives Act. Cosmetics, such as body glitter, were inspected to ensure they had a batch number, a list of ingredients, and details of the manufacturer or importer.

A small box containing fairy lights caught Mr Haines' attention because the size of the box indicated it might not contain a plug. On closer inspection everything was found to be in order.

Throughout the inspection the only problem encountered was a £2.99 King Cobra BB Sport gun, because it contained contradictory information on the packaging.

Mr Haines said: "The manufacturers are trying to cover themselves both ways by saying the product is not for under-14s but then also using a CE mark which implies it is a toy.

"I think they've been given bad advice. They should put one or the other on the packaging. As it is, the message is confusing."

Mr Haines decided no action needed to be taken because the firing mechanism was weak enough for the product to be classed as a toy. After the inspection was over, Mr Haines gave the shop the thumbs-up.

He said: "I have to say this is a good shop. It's well presented and they have a number of branded goods by recognised manufacturers. There are other shops which sell junk and make no effort to display things properly."

Mr Gray said: "We always check to make sure an item has a CE mark. If it hasn't, we don't buy it.

"It just doesn't make good business sense to me. People remember us and won't come back if they bought something from us the year before which didn't work. "

Mr Haines said the most important thing was for people to read instructions and to use products sensibly.

He added: "When shopping, look out for labels and read them carefully. Don't buy anything you feel is not properly marked. If you do have doubts, pick up the telephone and let us know."

Trading standards officers in Brighton and Hove can be contacted on 01273 292498.