22/10/2007 - £100,000 haul in Penrith counterfeit goods raid

Four men were arrested when Trading Standards officers, police and industry representatives raided Spook Outdoor Market at Penrith on Saturday 20 October.

More than 8,000 items of counterfeit clothing and footwear were seized when Trading Standards officers from throughout the North West of England teamed up with police to target the Penrith market.

The value of the haul is throught to be Cumbria's largest, with a value well in excess of £100,000. The attached photos show some of the haul seized at the weekend.

The raid was led by Cumbria County Council's Trading Standards department. Phil Ashcroft, Head of Cumbria Trading Standards said: "There were as many as 20 traders dealing in counterfeit goods at this market. Some of them voluntarily handed over their counterfeits. others will face prosecution. 

"Counterfeiting is commercial theft and counterfeiters undermine genuine businesses."

A spokesperson for Cumbria Police said: "This was a successful operation and one of the largest we have undertaken withTrading Standards involving counterfeit goods. 

"It demonstrates that Cumbria Constabulary work to protect the public and the integrity of companies who produce genuine articles. It involved over 10 officers from our Tactical Support Group and Fraud Squad."

Ruth Orchard, Director-General of The Anti-Counterfeiting Group said: "Product counterfeiting hits everyone in the pocket: legitimate businesses lose sales, which means fewer jobs; the fakers don't pay taxes or VAT, so the Treasury loses revenue, which means less funding for our essential services; consumers are at risk from products which aren't safety tested, especially food and drink, children's clothing and toys, electrical and healthcare products. 

"The only people who benefit are the shadowy figures behind the counterfeit trade, who are often part of global organised crime networks, which in turn can fund terrorism. We hope that members of the public will think about this, especially as they shop for Christmas, when so many 'bargains' will be on offer in markets and discount stores. 

"Please remember that these goods are not the bargains they may seem. In fact there is a very high price to pay."

ENDS

Media enquiries to Mark Graham, Media Officer on 01228-606337

Notes

1. The image shows a photo (jpeg) of some of the seized clothing. The clothing has been sent to the the His Church charity for distribution to developing countries.

2. Trading Standards officers from Cumbria, Halton, St Helens, Stockport, Liverpool and Oldham took part in the raid.

3. The Anti-Counterfeiting Group (ACG) was founded in 1980 with 18 members, and now represents nearly 200 organisations globally, operating in, or providing specialist advice to, most industry sectors. Via its lobbying, networking and awareness activities, ACG campaigns against the trade in fakes on behalf of consumers and legitimate business interests, in partnership with government and law enforcement agencies. Its ultimate aim is to change society's perception of counterfeiting as a harmless activity, by exposing the worldwide economic and social cost of intellectual property crime. For further information, visit www.a-cg.com.