Food Standards Agency Wales is issuing an urgent warning to anyone who may have bought the 1806 Christoff brand vodka, seized yesterday by HM Revenue & Customs in a raid on an illegal distillery in Cardiff.

It is possible for counterfeit vodka to contain considerably more methanol than would be expected for an authentic vodka, so this brand might be dangerous. At this point in time there are no data to confirm this. As a precaution, the Agency is advising anyone who has a bottle of this vodka not to drink it.

Elevated levels of methanol should not be present in vodka, and so if drunk could cause serious harm to health. Effects of methanol poisoning include abdominal pain, drowsiness and dizziness, blurred vision leading to blindness, and breathing difficulties. Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be delayed for several hours, and anyone who thinks they may have drunk this product should seek immediate medical advice.

Anyone who has a bottle of this vodka should contact their local Trading Standards Service.

City and County of Cardiff Council have sent samples of the product to the Public Analyst for testing. Results are expected early next week.