"Dangerous" fake game consoles seized

LONDON (Reuters) - Customs officials issued a pre-Christmas warning on Friday after seizing fake Nintendo games consoles with potentially dangerous power adaptors.

"At best these consoles would have led to disappointment on Christmas morning. At worst they could have caused serious harm or injury," said Pamela Rogers, from HM Revenue and Customs.

The products, versions of Nintendo DS and DS Lite which had been bought from websites mainly based in Asia, cost about 40 pounds instead of the usual 100 pounds.

Rogers warned people to take care when buying such goods online, saying they should use reputable or regulated sites.

"We are asking all concerned parents to be diligent -- when a bargain seems too good to be true, it often is," said Mike Rawlinson, managing director of Nintendo's fraud investigation company ELSPA.

(Reporting by Michael Holden)