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By [dprince],ghd hair straighteners

PLYMOUTH trading standards officers are warning residents to beware of dangerous counterfeit hair straighteners being offered for sale.

Several people have complained to Plymouth City Council's trading standards office about ######## GHD hair-styling products which have been bought through internet auction sites or newspaper adverts.

Residents have reported straighteners which burned their hair, melted, smoked and made noises.

Sue Whitney, a senior trading standards officer, warned the counterfeit products could cause serious burns.

"What people need to realise is that because they're counterfeit they cannot be relied upon to work as a properly manufactured pair would be expected to," she said.

"The ######## straighteners often develop faults within a few weeks of purchase and some sold in other parts of the country have been found to be unsafe.

"They're used close to the skin and could cause unpleasant burns."

Ms Whitney said the goods were designed and packaged to look like the real thing and sold at a price that made people believe they might be unwanted gifts or old stock.

"Authentic GHD hair straighteners are only available to purchase via approved stockists and retail at approximately £130," she said.

"They're much sought after because of their rapid heating capability. The counterfeit straighteners are sold for around £80, sometimes less, and can appear genuine."

The most recent complaint came from a Plymouth resident who responded to a newspaper advert for GHD Pink Stylers as a boxed set.

Ms Whitney explained: "On using the stylers the black coating on the plates melted on to her hair and burnt the ends of it.

"A second,straightners, identical pair was supplied by the seller, who was believed to be a trader; these did not work but made noises and smoked."

Officers have been investigating the complaints received to date and co-ordinating their activities with other trading standards authorities across the country.

Ms Whitney said: "As you would expect from people who are engaged in crime, the sellers of these products make it very difficult for us to track them down, using false names and addresses to place their adverts,hair stylers, and using particular telephone numbers which are difficult to trace. Our main concern is the safety of our residents.

"We want them to recognise that buying this kind of product from a recognised or approved stockist is the most reliable way to ensure the product has been manufactured within the safety legislation that Trading Standards enforce."

Trading Standards recommends that if Plymouth residents have made purchases of these products via a newspaper or the internet, they contact GHD by telephone on Tel 0845 330 1133 and quote the hologram code to check if the product is genuine.

If the product is found to be ########, they are urged to report the matter to Consumer Direct on 08454 040506 which will pass details on to the appropriate trading standards service for an investigation to be made.