Trading standards is investigating complaints that people were duped at a sale of purported 'Argos' goods.

Officials said several complaints had been received about Sunday's sale at Didcot Town Football Club, which was advertised with the retailer's name and logo as a stock clearance event, but which had nothing to do with the High Street chain.

Trading standards manager Ian Marriott said they were investigating, and cautioned people about buying goods at one-off sales.

The organisers of the sale, who gave their name to the football club as National Salvage, charged £1 to enter and £5 for a special pen, which allowed them to bid for wrapped up electrical goods, such as DVD players, camcorders and satellite navigation systems.

Didcot Town steward Julia Jeffrey, who took the booking for the event, said she would not be happy with having another similar sale.

She said: "It wasn't a normal sale. It's not nice when you've got local people upset by it."

John Bailey, chairman of Didcot Town Football Club, said: "It was nothing to do with us. We just let them book the room."

One buyer, from Ladygrove, who did not want to be named, said: "They got £170 off me and God knows how much off everyone else. I was really unhappy with what I was sold.

"I did think it was Argos, because they used the logo. I went up at the end to get my money back, but they just gave me a phone number, which no-one will answer. It is just wrong."

High street chain Argos had no knowledge of the Sunday sale, which used its logo.

A company spokesman said: "Argos was certainly not involved in this sale. Neither was it held by anyone who has been authorised to sell our products.

"We do sell on some end-of-line products, but once they're sold, they cannot be called Argos goods."

Hertfordshire-based company National Salvage said it had made a mistake with the Argos logo.

National Salvage sales manager Mark Nygate said: "I do admit that the flyer took a little bit of a liberty with the logo. It was a one-off mistake.

"We have apologised to Argos for that. Argos don't supply us directly. We sell Argos returns - we buy the salvage from Argos.

"We served over 400 customers on the day and if they want to complain, we gave them a direct number - which was out of service for a couple of days.

"We actually gave the goods to people before we asked them to pay for them.

"We have nothing to hide from anyone. We are very fair, honest and up-front.

"I have heard nothing at all from trading standards."