Fake Glen’s vodka found in shop after customer reports ‘nail varnish’ smell

Over 40 bottles of fake Glen’s vodka have been recovered from a shop after a customer said the alcohol smelled like “nail varnish remover”.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and North Lanarkshire Council launched an investigation after the counterfeit bottles were discovered in a shop in Coatbridge.

It comes after a member of the public who had purchased a bottle, fraudulently labelled as Glen’s, reported a strong smell of nail varnish remover.

Environmental health officers located the 35cl bottles and removed them from the shelves, with samples taken by the council for analysis.

FSS and the council are warning consumers to be extra vigilant when purchasing alcohol and should check any recently purchased products.

Ron McNaughton, head of the Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit at FSS, said: “Drinking these types of products presents a huge risk to health.

“The labelling, the look of the packaging and the smell can suggest something’s not right.

“When you buy counterfeit alcohol you have no way of knowing what ingredients it contains and how strong it is, which could lead to serious illness and intoxication following one or two drinks.

“Please get in touch if you believe you have bought any counterfeit products.”

Councillor Helen Loughran, convener of the environment and climate change committee at North Lanarkshire Council, said: “This was a significant discovery by officers from a retail premises in Coatbridge, who acted quickly to remove the fake products from sale.

“Our environmental health and food safety officers remain vigilant to the potential issue of counterfeit alcohol within North Lanarkshire to protect public health.’’

Anyone who believes they may have purchased counterfeit alcohol should contact their local council’s environmental health service or the FSS Scottish Food Crime and Incidents Unit – foodcrime@fss.scot.

North Lanarkshire Council’s environmental health can be contacted at 01236 856361 / environmental-health@northlan.gov.uk.

Anyone with information in relation to counterfeit alcohol or food crime more generally is asked to contact the free and anonymous Scottish Food Crime Hotline on 0800 028 7926.

A spokesperson for Glen’s said: “Our priority is the health and safety of the public, and we’re working with Food Standards Scotland and the authorities involved to address the matter urgently.”