Counterfeit DVDs are seized at car boot sale

A car boot sale raid near Stafford has resulted in the seizure of more than 10,000 counterfeit discs, including the new Harry Potter film, the Half Blood Prince.

Officers from Staffordshire County Council trading standards and the police swooped on the site at Brocton, near Stafford, on Sunday and recovered the haul which also included other recently released DVDs, music CDs and new games for the Nintendo Wii.

The latest Harry Potter film was released at UK cinemas just last week and is not due out on DVD until December.

"The speed with which criminal organisations are producing and selling these counterfeit DVDs is staggering," said Councillor Ben Adams, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for communities and culture.

"By working together closely with the police and planning regular operations such as this latest raid, we're sending the message out there that selling counterfeit goods in Staffordshire won't be tolerated.

"I think it's important to remind consumers that they are supporting illegal trades and criminal activity when buying these goods.

"There may be a perception that they are getting value for money but frequently goods can be of very poor quality and substandard," added Councillor Adams.

It was the latest in a series of recent raids in the area.

In May, police seized up to 50,000 bootleg CDs, DVDs and computer games during a raid on a car boot sale being held at Bednall, near Stafford.

The counterfeit goods confiscated during the operation were valued at around £100,000.

At the end of August last year, blockbuster movies still out on the big screen, thousands of fake discs, cigarettes and two cars were seized when officers swooped on a car boot sale at Brocton.

Bags crammed full of around 15,000 CDs, games and films were among the haul recovered.

A bargain hunter also tipped off Customs & Excise officers to around 30 packets of tobacco and approximately 6,000 cigarettes had been hidden under a bush.

Anyone with information about counterfeit goods can contact trading standards confidentially on 01785 330356 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.