Kent Police and Kent County Council Trading Standards are warning shoppers not to buy suspected fake goods from rogue traders on the street.

Officers have received reports that a group of men in the town centre at Maidstone have been selling perfume from carrier bags at lower than retail prices to pedestrians.

Inspector Rachael Cumberland of Maidstone’s Community Support Unit said: “If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Don’t be fooled into thinking you’re getting a great deal, you may be buying stolen or counterfeit goods.

“Buyers will often find that their purchase turns out to be poor quality and this may make the product unusable or even unsafe.”

Clive Phillips, KCC Trading Standards Operations Manager, said: “If you buy an item from a complete stranger, whatever they are selling will have no traceability, so the goods could turn out to be either stolen or counterfeit.

“In addition, you will probably be unable to contact the seller again if you have any complaints.

“For those reasons, we always advise the public to purchase from a legitimate retail outlet.”