The ‘fake fur’ that comes from foxes

SHOPPERS are being misled into buying coats, hats, shoes and gifts decorated with real fur, it has been revealed.

Supposedly fake or faux fur on products sold by leading stores actually came from animals reared in cruelty on fur farms, according to laboratory tests.

Coats from TK Maxx and Amazon were described as having faux fur trim on the hood – but this was found to be fox fur.

Fox fur was also found on a bobble hat sold by the brand Miss Bardo in tests commissioned by Humane Society International UK (HSI). Tests found mink fur on earrings sold by online store Boohoo, while a pair of shoes from the shop were made with rabbit fur.

Rabbit fur was also found on children’s shoes sold by Amazon, as well as on keychains from online stores Not On The High Street and Groupon. A pink scarf sold by Amazon was found to be either made with chinchilla or baby rabbit fur.

Fur farming was banned in the UK in 2000 on ethical grounds but it continues in countries such as Poland, Russia and China. A spokesman for HSI said: ‘Life is cheap on fur farms, with animals enduring appalling deprivation.’

It appears that British retailers, many of whom claim to be furfree, are not properly auditing their suppliers.

All the retailers identified have removed the products from sale. However, welfare campaigners and MPs say more must be done.

All the stores have no-fur policies and insisted they would never knowingly mislead customers.

TK Maxx has offered customers refunds for the items and Amazon said it would remove sellers who did not follow its rules. Groupon says it is reviewing its supply arrangements to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Boohoo said it was ‘very disappointed’ its standards were breached and Miss Bardo said it felt ‘appalled’ to have been misled by an overseas manufacturer, which it has since dropped.