COUNTERFEIT electricals are often unsafe, a new campaign will warn.

The initiative, spearheaded by police, company BaByliss and Trading Standards, aims to encourage shoppers to buy genuine items from reputable sellers.

Traders who import and sell counterfeit electricals are committing an offence and could be prosecuted.

The Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit’s Detective Chief Inspector Teresa Russell said: “A counterfeit may be cheaper but peace of mind and safety are so important.

"Consumer safety is at the heart of our work.”

In the summer, a mum and her three children were forced to flee their Boscombe flat when a £1 charger from a discount store apparently overheated and started a fire.

The residents of a block in Haviland Road were evacuated after the blaze began.

The mum, who had been at home with her children, said her son had been charging his phone with a USB charger from a discount shop. After plugging the mobile in, he left it on the bed.

The charger then became so hot it started a fire.

For more information, visit electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk/guides-and-advice/electrical-items/mobile-phone-chargers