Steam fair stallholders face jail over fake goods (From Bournemouth Echo)

Steam fair stallholders face jail over fake goods

4:13pm Tuesday 2nd September 2008 in

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STALLHOLDERS from the Great Dorset Steam Fair are facing jail after fake goods were seized by trading standards officers.

Potentially lethal hair straighteners, counterfeit designer clothing and dodgy sunglasses and watches are among items taken away following a Dorset County Council operation.

Now council officers are preparing cases for the courts and have warned other traders they will continue to target those breaking the law.

They have also warned buyers that they could be at risk.

Ivan Hancock, divisional trading standards manager, said fake pink GHD straighteners are unlikely to have undergone the safety checks required of legitimate goods.

Sale of the genuine, limited-edition stylers involves a donation to the Breakthrough breast cancer charity but, in this case, the charity will have missed out. They usually cost £135 but stallholders were selling fakes for £45.

Mr Hancock said those who bought counterfeit sunglasses could be putting their eyesight at risk because they too are unlikely to have been subject to standard checks. Those seized included fake Armani, Gucci, Diesel and Oakley.

And those who bought handbags at the stalls concerned paid between £35 and at least £100 for fake Guess, Chloe, Fendi, Gucci and Prada bags. Counterfeit clothing included D&G and Ted Baker hats, as well as Rolex watches.

Mr Hancock said a number of people, all from the West London and Hertfordshire area, were arrested from three stalls. He stressed that no local traders are thought to be involved "People come from outside the area and think they can offload their counterfeit tat on the Dorset consumers but it is unfair to legitimate traders. We will continue to prosecute offenders," he added.

• Dorset Police said 21 crimes were reported at the steam fair, mostly thefts from tents or stalls.
• Inspector Bob Jacobs said the police operation surrounding the fair worked well and that a designated travellers' site set up on the outskirts of the event also proved to be a huge success.