HOUSEHOLDERS are warned to beware of 'bargain' leather three-piece suites.

Bury Council's trading standards officers say there has been an influx into Britain of dangerous suites from Poland, the majority of which do not comply with UK safety legislation.

Several of them have surfaced in Bury and trading standards are urging potential buyers to beware.

The suites often display the swing tags and permanent labels which indicate they comply with UK law but, in fact, they fail to comply with the flammability requirements of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, rendering them unsafe and a danger in the home.

In addition, the suites are advertised as leather but are in fact polyester fabric coated in PVC made to look like leather.

The suites are often sold in the small ads in newspapers or on supermarket notice boards. There will be a 'genuine reason for sale' given and they sell for about £550 with a much higher figure quoted as a previous price.

Peter Jagger, the council's trading standards manager, said, "When the suite is delivered, it is fully wrapped and complaints received at this office indicate the sellers are very persuasive in preventing the suite from being unwrapped until the sale has been completed, the cash handed over and the seller has left.

"These sellers take a number of steps to avoid being found."