It is supposed to be the season to be merry, but with only a few weeks to go before Christmas a new EU report has said almost a third of all festive lights on sale in Europe are hazardous.

Tests showed that many posed a serious safety risk and could result in injury or even death. Consumers are being told to take care. Catherine Verstraete from Belgian light manufacturer Ilvris said: ‘‘Avoid using light bulbs that heat up in Christmas trees, for example incandescent bulbs. With the LED, there is really no problem. You can put it in a real or false tree, there is not a problem.’‘ Random checks on some 200 samples discovered weak wiring and poor insulation in many of the Christmas lights tested. Tests were carried out at stores in five member states – Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Slovenia. Some 50 percent of the dangerous products discovered were found to come from China. The EU Commission is advising consumers to buy from reputable dealers.More about: Christmas

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