Chanel, Gucci, and Cartier fakes among seized knock-off goods worth equivalent of over £5m

Thousands of knock-off goods, which if real would be worth more than £5m, have been seized after an operation in Middlesbrough.

Prada, Rolex, and Vivienne Westwood are among the brands removed by Middlesbrough Council Trading Standards Officers at two town centre stores. Thousands of items were copied, including over 180 bags, 350 watches, 170 scarves, 600 pairs of sunglasses, 170 pairs of trainers, 350 t-shirts, 120 hats and more than 1,500 pieces of jewellery.

The council’s Public Protection Service has now issued a warning to the public on buying fake goods and has highlighted the dangers associated with products, such as them being usually of poor quality.

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Other brand copies that were removed included Armani, Chanel, Gucci, Yves St Laurent, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Versace, Cartier, Mulberry, Pandora, and Hugo Boss.

Middlesbrough Mayor Chris Cooke said this was a significant victory for Middlesbrough residents as “ultimately the sale of these products leads to the funding of organised crime”.

He said: “The council has done an amazing job seizing all these counterfeit goods in Middlesbrough. We need to make sure that we keep on top of this sort of crime because ultimately the sale of these products leads to the funding of organised crime.

“Some buyers may feel the need to have items with designer labels, or others think they are getting a bargain, but they are in fact supporting criminal activity, which effects the town they live in or visit.

“It’s really important we make sure counterfeit goods have no place in Middlesbrough to make sure we keep consumers safe and keep the economy going. Selling counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime.”

Judith Hedgley, Middlesbrough Council’s Head of Public Protection, said: “The sale of copies of designer goods is sometimes seen as a victimless crime. Some of the goods seized were clearly poor-quality copies but most of the items seized could easily be mistaken for the genuine article.

“Some customers may know such items are copies and are willing to buy them to have clothing, footwear and accessories that look like the real thing, but others may be led to believe they are buying a genuine product, that for some reason is much cheaper.

“Either way, consumers are probably not aware or do not fully realise the impact of their involvement in this criminal activity, or how it affects legitimate businesses and reduces employment. There are also potential risks to health and safety as the goods are usually poor quality and not tested as genuine items would be, so they are unlikely to comply with product safety laws.”

Businesses can get advice on the laws on selling goods from their local authority’s Trading Standards team and advice on how to spot and avoid dealing in fake goods.