Trading Standards officers are warning people not to be duped by counterfeit goods at Bank Holiday weekend car boot sales.
Tobacco, alcohol and branded clothing are among items seized in recent months across Staffordshire.
Cllr Victoria Wilson, cabinet member for communities and culture at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“The counterfeit goods market is big business these days with much of the profit going into the pockets of criminal gangs.
“Counterfeiters will often use car boot sales on bank holiday weekends to sell their wares so it’s a busy time for our Trading Standards team.
“It’s important to remember that buying counterfeits will ultimately leave you with poor quality and possibly dangerous goods.
“Fakes are also increasingly hard to detect just to look at, so when something is being sold at a much lower price, people should be extremely wary – and they’re not just available at car boot sales, fakes are also widely available online and on social media networks too.
“It’s our job to protect the public and legitimate businesses and we will continue to take action where the sales of counterfeit goods are going on.”
Cllr Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council
People can report sales of counterfeit goods by calling the anonymous Staffordshire Fight the Fakes line on 01785 330356.
