COUNCIL WELCOMES COUNTERFEIT CONVICTION

Cheshire East Council Trading Standards Department has welcomed the sentencing of three people who sold counterfeit goods at local car-boot sales.

Following a number of test purchase operations, carried out by Trading Standards, the trio were found to have sold counterfeit music and films worth in excess of £11,000 between July 2008 and June 2009.

They were charged with a combined total of 11 offences, contrary to the Trade Marks Act 1994.


Yesterday (Monday, March 29) Macclesfield Magistrates Court saw the sentencing of John Power of Wythenshawe, Manchester and Christopher Loftus and Patricia Flint of Burnage, Manchester to a 12 months Community Order, a 12 month Community Order plus supervision and 120 hours of unpaid community work respectively along with £750 in costs, each.

Deputy Leader of the Cheshire East Council, Cllr. Brian Silvester, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Safer and Stronger Communities said;


“Counterfeiting is a matter that we take seriously. It is detrimental to consumers because they are unknowingly purchasing poor quality goods and it also impacts upon the economy because legitimate businesses struggle to compete against the rogue-traders. These prosecutions send a clear message to rogue traders everywhere that they need to keep out of Cheshire East because they will not get away with their illegal sales. ”

Following the arrests in June last year, over 500 discs were seized from the stall at Chelford car-boot; these discs along with previous test purchases were valued at a genuine retail cost of over £11,000.

Kay Roberts Consumer Protection and Investigations Manager at Cheshire East Council added;
“This serves as a stark warning to those involved in the sale or possession of counterfeit goods, our Trading Standards Department takes a proactive stance in visiting our car-boots and markets and will not hesitate to take action to protect the local community."

Anyone with information relating to counterfeit goods or requiring advice should contact Consumer Direct on 08454 04 05 06.