PRESTON folk are being told to avoid foreign fizzy drinks after some from Europe were contaminated with chemicals.

Trading Standards chiefs believe Preston is one of the worst blackspots for bootleg refreshments, which are imported from the continent and then sold on to local shopkeepers looking for a bargain.

Now they fear drinkers who try to save a few pence on a can of pop could be risking illness after problems with Coca-Cola in France and Belgian.

One batch of Coca-Cola, from its Antwerp plant, is believed to have been made with contaminated carbon dioxide, while some cans from a factory in Dunkirk, France, could have been affected by a fungicide used to protect the wooden pallets they are stored on.

Trading Standards chief officer Jim Potts said: "We are aware that drinks like Coca Cola are imported into this country and sold on to shops.

"People aren't breaking any duty laws by bringing the pop in but if the literature written on the cans is any other language than English, then they are breaking the law.

What concerns us is that this problem with Coca-Cola was first spotted in France and Belgium near ferry ports so it is quite possible some has been shipped over here.

"We would advise people to avoid buying any foreign drink just to be on the safe side. We are concerned that other foreign brands, such as Sprite, may also be affected."

People who have been affected by the contaminated drink complain of vomiting, trembling, nausea and headaches, although no long-term problems are expected.

The Joint Food Safety and Standards Group are working with Coca Cola Great Britain to determine how many Belgian soft drinks may have been brought into the UK. They have informed Preston Borough Council's food safety department.

A spokesman for Coca Cola said: "All our brands produced in this country are not affected because we have local suppliers here.

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