THERE are many dangers concerning the use and abuse of alcohol.

But the one that emerged as a result of a court hearing this week is one which many people may not have been aware of before.

Police seized dozens of bottles of a well-known brand of vodka from a Huddersfield restaurant earlier this year.

West Yorkshire Trading Standards were asked to test the drink and discovered that it was counterfeit and contained chloroform.

According to them, the liquid found in the bottles was industrial alcohol diluted with water.

The owner of the restaurant, Grappolo in Lockwood, disputes the findings and doesn’t accept that the vodka is fake.

Magistrates, however, were convinced by the test results and banned the restaurant for serving alcohol for four weeks.

It is their duty to protect the public and few would argue with the magistrates’ decision.

After all, people expect quite rightly to be able to go out and buy both food and drink that has been properly sourced.

In most people’s book, buying boxes of vodka from an unknown person and not having a receipt or contact details of the supplier is not the way to do business.

How in that scenario is it possible to know what you are buying and what possible effect it may have on customers? The simple answer is that you don’t and customers have a right to be concerned.