Trainers, clothes and make-up believed to be counterfeit have been seized as part of a string of council raids.
Durham County Council’ s trading standards team has executed warrants at three houses over the past fortnight, in relation to suspected intellectual property crime.
On Wednesday December 11, officers removed quantities of suspected counterfeit goods from a home in the Consett area.
A week later, on Wednesday December 18, they called at a home in the Chester-le-Street area due to suspected illegal streaming of subscription TV packages online – an offence under copyright law.
And on Thursday December 19, officers were at a property in the Ferryhill area where there was a suspected supply of counterfeit goods, seizing items including trainers, clothing and make-up.
Investigations are ongoing into all three raids.
Owen Cleugh, the council’s consumer protection manager, said: “Intellectual property crime – be that selling counterfeit items or infringing copyright through illegal streaming – is damaging in two ways. It causes law abiding, tax-paying companies to lose out financially and can mean consumers receiving a lower quality product.
"In some cases of counterfeit goods they can also be more dangerous.
“We know in particular there is an upsurge in counterfeit activity in the lead-up to Christmas and we are pleased to have taken action to remove illegal items from the market.
“We would urge people not to buy items they suspect may be counterfeit and to report them via the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06.”
