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A father and son at the head of a family-run, multi-million pound business selling teeth whitening kits with dangerous levels of hydrogen peroxide have been jailed.

Matthew Hargreaves, 44, and his father John Hargreaves, 69, admitted participating in a fraudulent business over an eight-year period from January 15, 2007 to July 16, 2015.

They used false claims to sell unsafe teeth whitening products with more than 65 times the legal level leaving customers with bleeding gums from chemical burns, foaming mouths and increased tooth sensitivity.

Whenever the pressure from trading standards or complaining customers became too great the existing company would be wound up and another one already in situ would take over.

Changing company names and addresses was used as a “prophylactic” to disguise the fraud from customers and used duplicitous batch numbers to stonewall trading standards in a “veil” of dealing.

"Caused serious harm to unwitting members of the public"

“Their activities caused serious harm to unwitting members of the public,” said Mark Wyeth QC, prosecuting at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court.

“It involved the sale of unsafe and dangerous teeth whitening products across the British Isles and Republic of Ireland.”

As a result of the lucrative business they managed to rake in £3.4m, which funded a lavish lifestyle in Cheshire, including a large house which the family shared along with Matthew Hargreaves’ wife Holly and their two children, a property portfolio and a fleet of seven luxury cars.

They were eventually rumbled when trading standards officers from Powys County Council made test purchases at the Royal Welsh Show in 2013.

Analysis revealed dangerously high levels of hydrogen peroxide.

"A thoroughly dishonest and dangerous business"

The court heard that products would be sold via advertising as well as through fairs and recognised arenas like the Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells.

“The nature of he dishonesty and fraud in relation to the two male defendants included false claims about the legality, composition and safety of the product,” said Mr Wyeth.

“They ran a thoroughly dishonest and dangerous business placing members of the public in serious harm for a period of eight years.

“There was a refusal to disclose the place of manufacture or supply in relation to this product.”

They have still refused to name the source of their products.

Despite their arrests they continued to sell the teeth whitening products with dangerously high levels of hydrogen peroxide, making false claims about the product, including falsely claiming the products had the approval of the US Food and Drugs Association.

"Blatant disregard" for public safety

The court heard John Hargreaves had been cautioned in 2007 for selling similar teeth whitening products at Manchester Airport in 2005 and the business was his brainchild, taken over by his Sheffield University educated “intelligent and industrious” son in 2010.

John Hargreaves’ wife, Jean Hargreaves, 71, who was involved in the administration of the business, admitted engaging in unfair commercial practice between 2013 and 2015.

Jailing the two male defendants for 18 months each and disqualifying them from being a company director for 10 years, Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins told them they had showed “blatant disregard” for public safety in order to make a huge profit.

He said: You placed personal greed before greater public safety.”

Jean Hargreaves was jailed for six months but it was suspended for two years and was disqualified from being a company director for five years.