Middlesbrough: Seized fake goods 'worth more than £5m if real'

Two shops in the town centre were raided as part of the operation

A haul of fake goods being sold on the black market would have been worth more than £5m if they were real, trading standards bosses have revealed.

Two shops in Middlesbrough were raided with thousands of items uncovered which were copies of designer brands.

This included hundreds of watches, bags and sunglasses, and more than 1,500 pieces of jewellery.

Labour mayor Chris Cooke said while buyers may think have a "bargain" they are "supporting criminal activity".

"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," he said.

Mayor Chris Cooke and Sinead Upton from Middlesbrough Council’s Trading Standards Ttam, with the haul of counterfeit fashion goods

The council has issued a warning to the public on buying low-cost fake designer goods.

It said products which do not comply with health and safety laws could also be dangerous.

"Some of the goods seized were clearly poor-quality copies but most of the items seized could easily be mistaken for the genuine article," said Judith Hedgley, head of public protection.

"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."