Trading Standards Officers from Walsall Council, with support from West Midlands Police and brand protection teams, seized thousands of counterfeit goods in a pre-Christmas swoop at Bescot Market on Sunday 11 December.

The haul included fake perfume, copies of designer handbags, replica brand clothing and fashion footwear. The street value of the goods, had they been genuine, is estimated to be in excess of £1 million

Brand Protection experts who were on site from early morning pinpointed three market stalls selling the suspect products.

Trading Standards and the Police were alerted and by 11am a group of officers seized the goods on show and tracked further products which were seized from abandoned stalls. Councillor Garry Perry, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Resilient Communities, said:

“Sunday’s action should be taken as a warning to other traders to make sure any brand named goods they sell are genuine. 

“Fake goods are a hazard – the counterfeit perfumes especially, have serious safety implications - we don’t know what is in them and they haven’t been subjected to any safety tests.

“They contain unknown chemicals that will come into direct contact with people’s skin and could lead to rashes, or worse.

“This is an excellent joint effort by Trading Standards, West Midlands Police and brand protection teams, well done to all involved.”