Retailers should be extra careful to check their customers’ ID when buying certain products to ensure they don’t get snowed under by the authorities.

Watch out for

• Nutmeg
• Alcohol
• Teeth whitening products
• Imitation firearms
• Christmas crackers

That was the advice from Tony Allen, managing director of Under Age Sales, as he revealed five products that could leave shopkeepers out in the cold if not sold responsibly.

Perhaps the most unusual product to fall within these restrictions is nutmeg, which cannot be sold to anyone under 18.

As well as being an essential ingredient in a Christmas cake, nutmeg can also act as a hallucinogen, which means retailers can face an unlimited fine or even six months in prison for selling to a minor.

Teeth whitening kits can also only be sold to over 18s under the Cosmetic Products Enforcement Regulations 2013.

Christmas crackers are classified as category 1 fireworks and may not be sold to shoppers under the age of 12.

Retailers who are planning to stock a selection of toys should also be vigilant as imitation fire arms such as toy guns can also not be sold to under 18s and can result in 51 weeks in prison and an unlimited fine.

It is also worth taking extra care when it comes to selling alcohol this season. Allen advised that retailers challenge anyone who looks younger than 25 when selling alcohol to customers.