Bangers and beer cops on the prowl

BUTCHERS, pubs and supermarkets have been put on notice with secret government inspectors on the prowl to make sure shoppers are not being ripped off.

Thousands of beer and sausage police will visit an extra 2000 businesses this year to check consumers are getting the correct amount of beer in a pint glass and sausages in a kilogram packet.

Bars will also face random audits to make sure glasses and jugs hold the correct amount of liquid, which is particularly an issue at hipster premises serving drinks in non-traditional receptacles like mason jars.

The latest blitz will see an extra 10,000 lines of packaged goods tested compared to last financial year.

The audit will be run by the National Measurement Institute, which hires mystery shoppers who check retailers to make sure shoppers are not being short-changed.

The authority can issue fines for businesses of up to $210,000 if the case is serious enough.

Lesser offences attract fines of about $1000 or a warning. In 2017-18, about a third of audited business were found breaching measurement guidelines, including several shops caught selling prepacked deli cheeses with shortfalls of up to 10 per cent.

Some supermarkets were selling prepacked steaks up to 20 per cent underweight.