Counterfeit & Illegal Goods Among Items Seized By Trading Standards

Illegal fireworks and counterfeit clothing are just some of the items that have been confiscated by Wrexham Trading Standards recently.

Wrexham Trading Standards are continuing their drive to stamp out the sale of illegal and potentially harmful goods which continue to flood the market place.

Over the last few months the department has had some successful outcomes, many of which have originated from complaints by members of the public. A large quantity of fireworks which were being stored in a council house posing major fire safety risks were seized, as were counterfeit toys which tests have revealed to be unsafe.

Throughout December alone Wrexham Trading Standards have prosecuted 3 individuals through the criminal courts for the manufacture and sale of counterfeit goods.

Cllr David A. Bithell, Lead Member Environment and Public Protection said of Trading Standards said: “I would like to thank everyone on the Trading Standards team for all of their hard work this past year and congratulate them on the many successes they have had in protecting the high standards of local traders in Wrexham.”

Recently there has been a notable shift towards e-crime sources which the department has pledged to focus on with sites including eBay and Facebook posing challenges. Tackling these sites, liaising with industry to take them down, as well as carrying out warrants, seizing goods and prosecuting traders are just some of the methods used by the department to combat illegal activity.

The department has also had a number of positive results from the courts for the manufacture of counterfeit clothing from a house, including Doctor Who, The Beatles, and James Bond merchandise. The Team were complimented on the presentation of the case and both defendants pleaded guilty.

They are currently awaiting proceeds of crime confiscation which is designed to hit criminals in their pocket.

Wrexham Trading Standards put many alerts and useful information on their Facebook page and Twitter. Please ‘like’ or ‘follow’ them on: https://www.facebook.com/safonaumasnachtradingstandards or on Twitter – Wrexham TS @SmWrecsam