STEPHEN LEWIS seeks some tips from the experts on what 'bargains' to avoid at the car boot sale

THE CAR boot sale is part of the great British summer weekend - up there with the church fete and the garden party.

There's nothing quite like pottering round the stalls on a sunny afternoon in search of a bargain.

But as trading standards officers in York revealed this week, it's a national pastime rife with hidden dangers.

Among the defective and potentially hazardous goods seized by officers on visits to major car boot sales in York over the last couple of years have been bicycles with no brakes or faulty steering, electrical fires or lamps with dodgy wiring which could give an electric shock, furniture with foam padding that could give off noxious fumes if it caught fire - and kiddies' soft toys with eyes that come off and could be swallowed by toddlers, or even hidden sharp edges.

What makes officers most angry is that while most of these goods are being offered for sale perfectly innocently by people who are simply having a clear-out and don't know the hidden risks attached to what they're selling, some are being cynically flogged off by 'professional' traders who know they would never get away with selling them in a shop because they don't meet exacting quality standards.

"The classic example was the man who said: 'I know I can't sell this in my shop, but I thought it was all right to sell it here,'" says Colin Rumford, of York Trading Standards. "Well, it isn't."

That is because, while only goods that are purchased 'in the course of business' are covered by consumer safety legislation, a professional tradesman doesn't cease to be a tradesman just because he's flogging stuff at a car boot sale. The goods he sells must still, therefore, comply with the law, wherever they are sold.

Despite a crackdown over the last couple of years, between 20 and 30 per cent of people selling things at big car boot sales are 'professionals', Mr Rumford says - either shop owners making a bit extra at the weekends by selling off stuff they can't sell in their shop, or traders who make a business out of doing the rounds of car boot sales.

Not all 'professionals' who trade at car boot sales are selling dodgy goods, of course - and as long as they comply with the law, it is a perfectly legitimate thing to do, Mr Rumford says. The bottom line, he stresses, is safety - whether you're buying from a 'professional' or simply somebody who has just cleared out the garage. More than one in ten items tested at car boot sales failed to comply with British safety standards, Mr Rumford says. "It is not a bargain if you end up in the district hospital on Monday morning."

The items to be most wary of, say officers, are bicycles, electrical goods and furniture. Here are some potential problems to look out for:

Bikes - Check the bike has working brakes, that the steering column moves freely allowing handlebars to turn smoothly, and that it has the appropriate guards over chain and wheels. Bear in mind that if it doesn't have any of these things, it will cost money to get them or carry out repairs. Also check to make sure the seat hasn't been extended too high in an attempt to make the bike suitable for a bigger person. There should be a mark showing the safe limit for the height of the seat - go beyond that, and it could be dangerous because the seat is overextended and so not very strong.

Electrical goods - Check for badly-repaired or frayed wires, or any of the old-style red, green and black wires, which would indicate the appliance is very old and potentially faulty. Check a proper plug is fitted, with a fuse - it should be BS 1362 or 1363. Take the back off the plug and make sure it has been properly fitted. Also check the flex, to make sure it is not frayed or broken. Electrical fires should always have guards over the bars. Defective items trading standards have found include a fire without guards - potentially very dangerous if you have young children - and a metal-based lamp that was not properly insulated, meaning that when it was switched on the whole base became live.

Furniture - If it is upholstered furniture, such as a settee, check it has a safety label to indicate any foam with which it is padded is fire retardant. If it doesn't bear such a label, chances are it could give off potentially fatal fumes if it catches fire. Also be careful when buying furniture which incorporates glass, such as a glass-topped table or glass-fronted cabinet. Modern safety standards require shatterproof glass, which won't smash into sharp shards - but older furniture may well have plain glass. There's no real way of checking without breaking the glass first. "But be very wary about what usage the item is going to be put to," says Mr Rumford. "If you have children, again it could be dangerous."

- Trading standard officers are happy to give advice, either to prospective buyers or people planning to sell items at a car boot sale. Call the trading standards office on 01904 551562.