Firefighters have seized £18million worth of fake football equipment.

More than £18m worth of fake football shirts have been seized in a security breach in the UK during the World Cup.

The competition has led to a huge increase in the sale of fake shirts and kits, but the fire service has warned that these items are more flammable and dangerous than the genuine articles.

More than 220,000 pieces of football merchandise have been found as part of the Police Intellectual Property Office’s Operation Blackswitch, a UK police enforcement effort targeting counterfeit goods.

A raid led to the seizure of 1,618 fake pieces from a warehouse in Birmingham, including replicas of star players such as France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland.

Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk, who was involved in the operation, told BBC Sport: “I understand why people want to buy these shirts, people love football and the incentive is low – but these shirts are unregulated and flammable.

“They have dyes in them that are harmful to skin, especially children’s skin. Although the price is low – and the attractive part – the damage to you and people is very high.”

Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service tested the flammability of fake shirts against real kits and found that the fake kits were more flammable.

“Obviously the fake flame melted as soon as it went in,” said watch manager Dave Jackson, who conducted the experiment by hanging the two on a metal bar and knocking over a torch. “I had to try to make the real thing burn and melt.”

One of the reasons for the sale of counterfeit kits is the low price. Several websites sell them for £12, with some official Premier League prices starting at £85.

“It’s extremely dangerous. It’s something that can cause horrific injuries to your children. It’s not worth the savings,” Jackson added.

Kate Caffrey, head of intelligence at the Intellectual Property Office, warned that counterfeit shirts would not be controlled.

“Counterfeit fabrics are not subject to health and safety regulations, British standards (or) EU standards,” she told BBC Sport.

“We have evidence that counterfeit goods are created under extraordinary circumstances, so you don’t know what’s inside, how they work, and there’s no way to provide any security assurances.

“Fraud is a crime, these are made and offered by criminal networks, gangs, and they are very skilled in targeting the market where there is a need. So the World Cup, the upcoming Premier League season – they will flood the market with fake shirts.

“The price of a fake shirt, you don’t know what you’re supporting with that money.”