MUSLIMS in Lancashire are being warned to steer clear of fake holy water as it contains high levels of the poison arsenic.

The fake Zamzam water is labelled as Zam Zam and is being sold commercially, claiming to be from Saudi Arabia, say Lancashire County Council.

Tests by the Food Standards Agency on products labelled as Zam Zam water on sale in the UK have indicated the presence of arsenic at almost three times the legal limit.

The county’s trading standards team is encouraging people to avoid drinking the fake water and report any bottles they see in shops.

County Coun Albert Atkinson, deputy leader of Lancashire, said: “It’s important to make people aware of the potential dangers of drinking fake Zamzam water sold commercially, which is quite different to genuine Zamzam water from Saudi Arabia.

“If people see Zamzam water for sale in any shops across the county, they should not buy it.

"They should report it to Consumer Direct straight away so trading standards can investigate.”