The ‘faux fur’ made from real animals
…such as fox in TX Maxx handbag
‘Reminds me of cuddling my cat’
CLOTHES and accessories made from rabbit, fox and raccoon dog are being sold in ‘ fur- free’ stores on Britain’s high streets.
Big-name retailers, such as TK Maxx, which boast of having an anti-fur policy, are selling real fur products to unwitting customers.
An investigation was carried out after shopper Chloe Salvi, of Edinburgh, raised concerns about a bobble hat she had bought from eBay.
She said: ‘ As soon as I opened it and touched it, I just felt something wasn’t right. I’ve got a cat and it just reminded me of when I cuddle her.’ After tests on the hat confirmed it was made from raccoon dog, Miss Salvi said: ‘I can’t help thinking about what animal this has been taken off just for me to have a pom-pom on a hat.’
The probe by BBC One’s Watchdog Live, which aired last night, tested a number of clothes and accessories from high street and online retailers with a fur-free policy.
A handbag bought from TK Maxx was found to be made of fox fur, while fluffy bobbles on shoes bought from TK Maxx’s website were discovered to be made from raccoon dog – as were bobbles on hats for a woman and a child which were sold on Amazon.
The wild dogs, related to foxes and wolves, are increasingly being kept as pets against RSPCA advice.
Rabbit fur was on shoes sold by fashion label Missy Empire, as well as a jumper from an AX Paris outlet store.
Textile analyst Dr Phil Greaves, who carried out the tests, said: ‘All animal fibres have particular structural features and it’s the actual nature and characteristic of these which determine the species of origin. These fibres are very distinctive once under the microscope.’
Fur farming is banned in Britain but it’s not illegal to import it from other coun- tries. A spokesman for TK Maxx said it took the matter ‘very seriously’ and insisted it ‘clearly instructs our vendors on our no-fur policy’.
The retailer admitted ‘ an error can occasionally occur, which may result in an item containing real fur being found in our stores’. It has removed the shoes from sale and is offering full refunds.
AX Paris and Missy Empire also said the items were no longer for sale and they would launch an investigation.
Claire Bass, of animal protection group Humane Society International, said: ‘ On fur farms, animals are entirely neglected and they’re killed in appalling ways. Retailers need to do more to give consumers the confidence they need to buy fake fur and not be worrying that it might be fox or rabbit or mink.’