A WARNING has gone out to residents after fish being sold door to door in the county was found to be unfilleted and an unknown species.
And, officers from Worcestershire Regulatory Services, say people’s health could be being put at risk by the product as it could contain harmful ingredients.
One incident in the county saw a resident find the fish they bought full of bones, despite being told they had been removed. And then, after analysis, it was found to be from an unknown species.
Salesmen have been using high-pressure techniques to offer bulk amounts of the product at discounted prices, but the fish will still cost residents hundreds of pounds.
Coun Bronwen Behan, WRS Joint Committee Vice Chairman, said: “Our advice is to turn away cold callers you don’t know who are trying to sell you fish like this.
“Unlabelled fish from an unknown source could make you very ill, as there’s no way to know if it has been stored hygienically.
“It could be out of date, or of any species, and what’s more you can’t track the scammers or their product afterwards. Even cheque payments may go to someone completely unrelated. Protect yourself by only buying from sources you can trust.”
Peter Holmes, WRS Senior Trading Standards Officer, added.
“If you are approached by these sellers you can make a note of any vehicle makes and registration numbers and pass the information to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 03454 04 05 06.
“If you have recently bought fish like this on your doorstep, we would also invite you to pass on your experiences to the same agencies to help the investigation of any issues.”
