Confiscated goods worth £45,000 donated to charity by Oldham Council

FAKE GOODS with an estimated street value of more than £45,000 have been donate to charity by Oldham Council’s Trading Standards team.

Over the last few years the department has seized thousands of fake designer items, including clothes, bags, trainers, jewellery, sunglasses and DVDs, from shops, markets, car boots sales and homes.

Brand names which have been copied include Adidas, Nike, D & G, Juicy Couture, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Oakley, Timberland, Ugg and Chanel.

Once the authorities have dealt with the offenders the goods must be disposed of securely – but rather than destroying the goods, which have all been debranded, the local authority is donating the items to Preston-based International Aid Trust.

The charity works in the UK and in more than 40 countries across the world, and has helped many thousands of people, including children in poverty.

Councillor Dave Hibbert, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Transport, said: “Rather than putting the goods, which included designer boots and tracksuits, into an incinerator we thought it would make more sense to donate them to charity.

“They’ll now be shipped overseas and given to those in need by International Aid.

“We’ll continue to disrupt and pursue those who deal in counterfeit goods. We’d urge anyone who is thinking of buying fakes to think again as we know organised crime groups are involved in the trade.

“While the goods may look good at first they are often made out of cheap material so you are basically being ripped off. Honest traders are also losing out on revenue.”

Reverend Bernard Cocker, the Founder of International Rev Bernard Cocker has praised the council for the donation.

He said: “We at International Aid Trust once again thank Oldham Trading Standards for their continued support, over many years, towards our efforts to help some of the poorest people in the world.

“Recipients of this latest delivery will include the refugees from the fighting in Ukraine and to the Ebola survivors in Sierra Leone.

“We are so happy and appreciative about the donation as these items will be going to help people in dire need, and for the trust placed in us to get them there.

“Once the fake brand names have been removed from the garments and shoes they will have IATs own labels heat sealed into them.

“We have to be very careful where we distribute them so as not to interfere with local business, but these people are the poorest of the poor and can’t even afford to buy second hand clothes.

“The counterfeiters meant to make a great deal of money from their illegal efforts but this been turned around to good by us working together to help the needy.”