Entire stall seized as trading standards officers raid market

Confiscated goods included more than 1,000 pairs of counterfeit boots, shoes and sandals, a small amount of tobacco and R4 cards allowing pirated games to be played on Nintendo DS consoles.

The stall’s owner disappeared as Trading Standards officers and plain-clothes police swooped at Wellesbourne Market on August 20 - leaving several people who were found selling the goods to answer questions.

A shopper, who did not want to be named, said: “I saw lots of CID in police vests talking to a man in his 20s who was saying ‘I’ve been stitched up, I’ve been stitched up’.

“The police were saying no one had dobbed him in and that next week it could be someone else.”

The Ugg boots, which would be worth £165,000 if genuine, were part of a haul with a counterfeit value of more than £18,000.

Simon Cripwell, of Warwickshire Trading Standards, said: “We seized almost everything there was, we even took the van used for the stall.

“All that was left were a few boxes of clothing which were genuine and the stall itself.

“There was an unusual variety of counterfeit goods, with enough stuff to fill up the van.

“The investigation is continuing as we try and identify the stall holder.”

Officers from West Midlands police took part in the raid on August 20 but no arrests were made.

Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000 to report the sale of counterfeit or smuggled tobacco.