The warning comes from the county council's Trading Standards department, and follows an alert by the Food Standards Agency after recent discoveries of counterfeit Spar brand Imperial Vodka 70cl.

The vodka contains a dangerous level of methanol which could cause abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, or lead to blindness and breathing difficulties leading to a coma.

The counterfeit Spar brand bottles are identified by the code "QI:1445c" embossed into the bottle on the base. There is also a smudged inkjet code reading which appears to be "102234 04/08/02".

The front label is likely to have blurred edges to the graphics and the duty stamp will not fluoresce under UV light. The taste will be tinny and have a smell similar to acetone or nail varnish.

Anyone who has purchased Spar brand Imperial Vodka from a non-Spar outlet or has been approached by anyone trying to sell such a brand, should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 040506.