POLICE and trading standards officers are warning members of the public in Newton Abbot to be wary of rogue mattress sellers operating in the area.

Reports have come in of people being stopped in the street by men offering cheap mattresses for sale from the back of a van.

A trading standards spokesman said: ‘We suspect they are cheap imported mattresses that may not meet UK safety standards.

‘They may be of inferior quality, contain no fire-retardant components and therefore could be highly flammable.

‘When any have been sold, no paperwork is issued which would identify the business and notifying customers of their right to a 14-day cooling off period which is a legal requirement when not selling from a fixed location.

‘Our advice is to purchase mattresses and other upholstered furniture from reputable traders and always check for the safety labelling.’