Convenience stores have been found to be selling potentially deadly counterfeit vodka.

Stores in Glasgow and Lanarkshire were found to be selling fake bottles of Glen’s Vodka which have been found to contain an industrial solvent that can can cause death in severe cases.

Glen’s vodka 20cl, 35cl and 70cl bottles are sold in more than 75% of convenience stores, while its 1l bottle is sold in 61% of stores, according to data provided by Retail Data Partnership.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised consumers to check for a laser-etched kit code applied to the bottle between the rear label and base of the bottle.

In a statement, the FSA – which covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland – said it “has been made aware of the production and distribution of counterfeit vodka labelled as Glen’s Vodka”.

“If the vodka has a strong smell, do not consume it. Instead store it in a safe place and report it to your local authority for further instruction and advice,” the agency added.

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A spokesperson for the Loch Lomond Group, which owns Glen’s Vodka, said: “Our priority is the health and safety of the public which includes our many thousands of loyal Glen’s customers.

“We are working hard to support the excellent efforts of Food Standards Scotland and the other authorities involved to address the matter urgently.”

Gordon Mitchell, head of crime operations at Food Standards Scotland, said: “Following further seizures of counterfeit vodka over the weekend, we need the public to be aware of any factors which may help them distinguish counterfeit products from genuine Glen’s. As well as a distinct smell, the counterfeit products are bottled differently to genuine Glen’s and the images provided will help consumers to tell the difference.

“As we do not yet know the scale of distribution of these products, but we do know the potential dangers associated with consumption, we are urging consumers once again to be extremely vigilant and to please get in touch if you have any information relating to the counterfeit vodka. We would also remind retailers that they should only be purchasing products from reputable suppliers.”

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