Haul of fake designer clothes seized from Middlesbrough shop
A huge haul of fake clothing's been seized from a shop in Middlesbrough - including counterfeit Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton
A huge haul of counterfeit clothing has been seized from a Middlesbrough retailer.
The business has been left counting the cost of selling black-market goods after more than 600 items were recovered by Middlesbrough Trading Standards officers on Tuesday, August 20.
They include shoes and trainers which were copies of well-known, trademarked brands such as Gucci, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Louis Vuitton and New Balance.
If the genuine items were sold, it’s estimated they would be worth more than £248,000 – but most were on sale for less than £20 which is far cheaper than the real goods would cost.
While council officers removed the haul, they were alerted to an unconnected street seller offering cheap perfumes to passers-by outside the shop – his stock was also seized, as they too were fake.
As investigations continue, Trading Standards officers returned to the shop the following day and seized almost 100 more counterfeit items. They would have been worth ÂŁ24,610 if the genuine branded versions were sold.
Judith Hedgley, Middlesbrough Council’s Head of Public Protection said: “There was no hiding the fact that the branded clothing and other items being offered for sale at such low prices could not be genuine, resulting in the seizure of a large amount of stock from the retailer and all of the items being carried by the street vendor.
“Counterfeit goods are sold to make profit for criminal organisations, damage genuine trade and often put consumers at risk.”
Mayor Chris Cooke said: "Counterfeit goods have no place in Middlesbrough - our legitimate and lawful town centre businesses should not have to compete on an uneven playing field.
"Counterfeit products can be shoddily made and dangerous, and their sale ultimately funds organised criminality. This is not a victimless crime.
"This seizure is another example of the fantastic work that Middlesbrough Council's Trading Standards team does on a daily basis, and I want to congratulate them on sending out another strong message.”