HUNDREDS of people are unknowingly walking around with death traps in their pockets.

Dangerous, cheap cigarette lighters have been found on sale throughout Harrow and a Stanmore resident is lucky to be alive after one of the lighters exploded on a table, throwing off fragments of plastic and metal.

Trading Standards officers have now seized the lighters from a number of different retailers throughout the area but are concerned that many more are still on sale.

One person was admitted to Northwick Park Hospital and four to Central Middlesex hospital last year for injuries sustained from fireworks and latest government figures have revealed that 878 people had to attend hospital emergency departments in 1999 for injuries sustained by cigarette lighters.

Product Safety Specialist of Brent and Harrow Trading Standards Neil McLoughlin said: "These lighters are typically sold for five for a pound. They appear to be made in mainland China for two pence each.

"Most of the unsafe lighters have the same shape and design. They are made of translucent coloured plastic with a silver coloured flame guard which is sometimes embossed with a trade name."

Trading standards are also warning retailers to only buy cigarette lighters from reputable sources. to avoid not only starting a fire in their shop but also facing prosecution.