Council leaders have warned the public about the dangers of buying highly toxic skin lightening creams after a number of trading standards teams seized banned products.

It is feared the creams – likened to paint stripper and potentially carcinogenic – could be on sale at car boot sales and market stalls.

Enfield Council recently prosecuted a shop owner and his company who were ordered to pay £16,000 after selling products containing mercury and hydroquinone. West Sussex County Council has seized nearly 1,000 jars of skin lightening cream at Gatwick Airport with a retail value of £14,000 while Birmingham City Council prosecuted a supermarket which was ordered to pay more than £6,000 after stocking dangerous cosmetics.

Cllr Simon Blackburn, chair of the Local Government Association’s safer and stronger communities board, said: ‘Cosmetic products such as skin creams should be safe to use but banned lotions containing toxic formulas could seriously damage your health, and even kill you, so they should be avoided at all costs.

‘If the price looks too good to be true, then it probably is. Consumers should always check the ingredients of their skin creams and never use a product containing hydroquinone.’ He added: ‘Councils have been targeting rogue retailers selling these banned creams and the large fines they have received should deter others from selling these dangerous products.

‘Anyone who has purchased a cream they think could be banned should stop using it immediately and report it to their local trading standards team. It is vital that people report any concerns, so that our officers can take action to prevent anyone being harmed or scarred for life.’