AN officer has warned against buying knock-off perfumes and aftershaves from street vendors after police seized counterfeit goods twice in two days.

On Sunday afternoon, Colchester town centre security workers alerted Essex Police to three men selling aftershave from a bag for cheap prices.

PC Brian Speirs, Colchester’s community safety and engagement officer, said teams had dealt with sellers again yesterday on Colchester High Street.

“Items were seized, details were taken and warnings issued to the sellers,” he said.

“More items were seized from different vendors on Monday.

“This stuff, for the most part, is utter rubbish.”

PC Speirs warned the public not to be tempted by the low prices offered for counterfeit perfumes.

“You don’t know what is in this and you don’t know who is selling it to you, it can contain all kinds of terrible things,” he said.

“Sometimes these knock-off perfumes can cause different dermatological reactions, it is unpleasant.

“We are looking at this as an ongoing investigation.

“It is one of those problems which surfaces every now and then and we deal with it.”

Anyone with information about the sale of counterfeit goods can contact Essex Police on 101.