Boots has recalled 'faux fur' hairpins from shelves, after it was found they were actually made of real fur.

Shoppers who are conscious of animal rights and the problems with the fur trade often buy faux fur, made of synthetic fibres, instead of the real thing.

They may be shocked to discover that retailers across the high street use suppliers which have mislabeled faux fur — and are actually selling real fur obtained in unknown and possibly cruel conditions.

Savvy shopper Ruby Miranda could smell a rat when she felt the fur on the Scunchi hairpins sold by Boots and labelled as faux fur.

She said she could tell that the fur was real as it tapers at the end, whereas faux fur tends to have blunt ends.

Social media users bombarded the company with complaints, and it has now admitted that after testing, the product does indeed contain real fur.