Counterfeit football goods valued at over £200,000 have been seized and are to be destroyed following a Trading Standards investigation in Stirling.
Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils’ Trading Standards Service launched the probe after receiving complaints about the sale of counterfeit football jerseys after complaints about fake products being sold both in a local shop and online.
Expert witnesses instructed by the brand owners found that “the vast majority of the goods being offered for sale by the business, both in-store and online, were counterfeit.”
The items, which included football shirts, were voluntarily handed over by the trader involved.
The council said the stock will now be destroyed and that the business has been given a written warning to comply with consumer legislation in the future.
Councillor Alasdair Tollemache, convener of Stirling Council’s Environment, Transport and Net Zero Committee, which oversees Trading Standards, described the sale of fake goods as “a serious offence and not a victimless crime.”
He said the trade in counterfeit merchandise “destroys jobs, undermines the hard work of legitimate businesses” and added that such products can be unsafe for consumers.
Tollemache also thanked the enforcement officers involved, saying their work protected “the public and the livelihoods of honest local businesses operating within the law.”
He stated that the operation “sends a clear message to those who engage in illegal trading in Stirling and Clackmannanshire – this will not be tolerated.”
The action follows concerns that counterfeit goods not only mislead buyers but also have links to broader organised criminal activity.
Members of the public with information about illicit sales are encouraged to contact Trading Standards through the appropriate council channels.
Feature Image Credit: Stirling Council
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