Online fashion firms have been selling items trimmed with “faux” fur that has actually come from rabbits.

This has been revealed in tests carried out by Humane Society International (HSI) on coloured pom-poms on a jumper from boohoo.com and a headband from accessories firm Zacharia. Both firms sell through Amazon and both boast anti-fur policies, claiming they were unaware that the fake fur was real.

Because of the appalling conditions animals are kept in on fur farms, especially those in China, real fur can be produced more cheaply than fake. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned ads promoting the items from the two companies, on the grounds that they are misleading.

In the past “faux” fur tested by HSI has been found to come from domestic dogs and cats, and foxes.