Big rise in fakes seized by councils
A £5.7 million haul of fakes including copied DVDs, computer games and bogus designer clothes has been seized across the Black Country in just 10 months, new figures reveal today.
A £5.7 million haul of fakes including copied DVDs, computer games and bogus designer clothes has been seized across the Black Country in just 10 months, new figures reveal today.
Counterfeiters cashing in on the credit crunch have sent the value of the racket soaring nearly five-fold in less than a year.
Rip-off designer belts, England football shirts and Ugg boots were confiscated by trading standards.
Illegal copies of the latest Hollywood blockbusters and hit console games make up the bulk of the haul.
The figures, for the financial year to date, show a dramatic rise on 2009/10, when around £1.3m of fake merchandise was confiscated.
Since April, Dudley Council's trading standards has seized goods worth £1.4m, up from £155,000 in 2009/10. In Sandwell, officers have uncovered around £4m so far this year, compared to £1m in 2009/10, while Wolverhampton has recovered £96,000, up from £24,000. Walsall Council has confiscated £193,000, up from £188,000.
The latest Staffordshire County Council figures also reveal £500,000 of fakes were seized between January and June last year.