A FAULTY electric waffle grill which was on sale in Worcester could have killed someone according to trading standards officials.

Worcestershire County Council officers found the item had the capability to cause an electric shock strong enough to be fatal during a safety investigation into second-hand electrical goods.

They found five out of the 11 electrical items they tested were faulty and have warned shoppers to be wary when buying second-hand products. As well as the waffle grill, they also discovered an orange juicer that was unsuitable for sale in the UK, either as a new or second hand product.

However, most of the faults discovered by trading standards officers largely related to labelling issues and internal electrical components with some of the products, which ranged from table lamps to hedge trimmers, failing on both. During the investigation, a total of 20 charity shops and second hand retailers were visited and officers also found many charity shops had already taken the decision not to sell electrical items because they could not be sure of their safety.

Retailers whose products failed to meet the required standards have been issued with a safety leaflet reminding them that they should not sell unsafe goods.

Investigations into the waffle iron that could have caused a fatality are ongoing.

Trading standards officer Emma Wheate said: "Businesses selling second-hand electrical goods must ensure all goods for sale meet legal safety requirements.

"Failure to do so may result in prosecution and anyone who is injured by the unsafe goods may be able to claim compensation.

"If you are unsure if goods are safe then you should not sell them, or offer them for sale, until you have had them checked by an expert."