DENBIGHSHIRE Council’s Trading Standards Officers are urging local residents to not be burned by unofficial mercendise as the Olympic Torch passes through the county.
The flame will be paraded through the area this Tuesday afternoon, and Council officers are warning people to make sure they are not caught out by counterfeit goods.
Ian Millington, of Denbighshire’s Trading Standards, said: "In a few days time the Olympic Torch Relay will be making its way through the Authority and North Wales.
"This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the torch, it is associated with the world's greatest sporting event and a great opportunity for the residents Denbighshire and North Wales to enter the spirit of the Olympics”.
“Unfortunately however there will be individuals who view this as an opportunity to make money in an unscrupulous way.
"The sale of counterfeit and unsafe merchandise is already a problem in Wales and throughout the United Kingdom and events like this create opportunities for unscrupulous traders to cash in, but also for the unwary to be caught out and ripped off by these individuals”.
The councils’ advice includes looking out for the official games hologram, which flickers between the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic emblems, which is attached to all official Olympic branded products, and only buying from conventional outlets, rather than street traders.
Trading standards also advise consumers to be on the look-out for famous named or branded goods baring the Olympic logo that seem too cheap.
Mr Millington said: "There may be cases where the unauthorised use of protected marks are the result of pure enthusiasm for the Games, without an understanding of the law, all such cases will be considered on an individual basis. But where it is clear that unauthorised use is a deliberate attempt to cash in, robust action will be instigated".
Businesses can seek further advice from trading standards by ringing 01824 706057. Consumers can reports the sale of fakes by contacting the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 08454 040506 or North Wales Police on 101.