POLICE are investigating a "hollow" TV scam which has left Christmas shoppers in Bradford buying useless television sets.

Conmen are alleged to have flogged TVs to unwitting members of the public in retail park and supermarket car parks around West Yorkshire.

But when buyers got the tellies home they found there were no working parts inside.

The scam came to light when police stopped a van in the Forster Square Retail Park in Bradford, and found packaged TVs in the back. Some were in Samsung boxes.

Police now fear a number of innocent shoppers could have bought the hollow TVs.

They are appealing for any victims who may have unwittingly bought one to contact them.

The discovery of the TVs in the back of the van was made a week ago.

Police said each of the televisions looked genuine, but further examination revealed the sets just comprised of the outer case and contained no internal working parts.

Two men were initially questioned by officers when their van was stopped in Forster Square, but following examination of its contents, they were arrested on suspicion of fraud offences. The blue vehicle was also seized by officers.

Detective Constable Nicola Thomson, from Kirklees District Police, said: ‘‘I believe that a number of people may have been attracted by the offer of a seemingly new television at a cut price cost only to discover the offer was not as it initially appeared.

‘‘I want to hear from those people as their information could play a pivotal part in this investigation.

‘‘We believe these televisions have been offered to people in supermarket and retail unit car parks across West Yorkshire. "

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said the scam involved the public being approached to buy the televisions direct. It usually happened in the car parks of retail outlets.

The spokesman said detectives were investigating where the TVs had come from in the first place, as part of their ongoing inquiries.

He said that, though the scam was not specifically aimed at Christmas, there would likely be people shopping for Christmas who had become victims.

Two men, aged 30 and 23, of Wakefield and Berkshire respectively, were released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kirklees District Police, via 101, quoting crime reference number 13140449499, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.