Newcastle City Council seizes 1,300 fake football kits

Counterfeit England strips were among those discovered at the property in Newcastle

More than 1,300 fake football strips have been seized by trading standards officers on Tyneside.

The kits, for "most nations" taking part in the World Cup, had a street value of about £35,000, Newcastle City Council said.

Officers found the items during routine web searches for counterfeit goods.

Checks against the seller's postcode showed intelligence relating to the sale of fake items stretching back several years, they said.

'Timely tackle'

Strips were found for "most nations" taking part in the World Cup, the council said, including England, France, Germany and Portugal.

Had the imported strips been genuine, they would have been worth in the region of £82,000.

The council said its officers "put in a timely tackle" and a search of the seller's house uncovered storage units for the kits, which were sorted by teams and sizes.

Once legal investigations have been completed the items may be recycled or destroyed, the council added.