Drinkers are being warned to watch out for fake bottles of whisky containing germ-laden water that could kill.

Trading standards officials seized 10,000 bottles of the counterfeit brand from a farmer's storage area in Staffordshire.

They warned that the bottles contained water and potentially-lethal bacteria.

Officers fear there are other batches of the drink set to be sold at car boot sales throughout the region.

The whiskey is "a dangerous product"

"Analysis showed that rather then whisky it was mainly water but instead of alcohol there was bacteria and mould that could kill people," said Staffordshire trading standards officer Graham Russell.

"Looking at the bottles, the way they've been labelled and the quantity we've found, I would say they're bound for car boot sales, not only in Staffordshire but across the West Midlands.

"Trading standards officers have seen bottles very similar to this, containing counterfeit spirits, on sale in Staffordshire quite recently."

The haul, which was labelled Royal Club Scotch Whisky, was seized by customs and trading standards officers last Saturday.

Mr Russell warned buyers to turn down any exceptional whisky bargains.

"If it looks too good to be true then it probably is," he said.

"Far from being whisky this is a dangerous product, don't buy them, don't drink them."