THE scale of counterfeit clothing cons in Greater Manchester is revealed today.
Millions of pounds are being made by traders who sell and distribute fake designer clothes to thousands of customers.
It is feared the illicit trade is driving honest companies out of business and profits are used to finance criminal activity. And trading standards officers say Greater Manchester is a distribution 'hub' for counterfeit clothing which is sent out across the country.
As part of our investigation we went to some of the outlets involved in the counterfeit goods trade based just a short walk from Manchester city centre. We visited six shops in an hour and spent £150 on goods all on open sale which if genuine would have cost £1,000.
We found thousands of items for sale bearing names of top designers such as Nike, Giorgio Armani and Adidas. Jeans with tags of £220 and trainers whose genuine counterparts would cost over £100 were being sold for £25.
Fakes
We handed over the items we bought to trading standards who confirmed that they were all fakes. We later gave them the addresses of all the shops targeted. Adidas's Mike Roylance said the scale of counterfeit clothing in Manchester 'beggars belief'.
Trading standards officers say clothes are often imported from sweatshops in Europe and Asia before the final touches, such as designer badges and labels, are added in warehouses and factories in Greater Manchester. Customers are left with poor-quality clothes. It is understood some of the vast profits being made are spent on illegal activities including drugs smuggling.
Manchester Blackley MP Graham Stringer said until recently he was unaware of the scale of the problem. He said: "I'd like to thank the M.E.N. for bringing it to my attention and I will now be contacting trading standards."
Mike Roylance said of the fakes: "We are talking of a business worth hundreds of millions." Since August last year, trading standards have seized more than 19,000 items of counterfeit clothing. Manchester's Coun Pat Karney said: "We will do everything we can to tackle the misery being caused by counterfeit cowboys."
Profits last year across Britain from counterfeit clothing totalled £3.5bn.
Find out how to spot the fakes and more background on this story via the links at the right of this page.
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Showing comments 1 to 19 and replies | View All
ace, manchester (10/05/2007 at 09:25)
Bejjy ex Salford now Malta (10/05/2007 at 09:30)
chris (10/05/2007 at 09:37)
diddums :`(
Bill, Kiriat Motzkin (10/05/2007 at 09:59)
come-on-city (10/05/2007 at 10:16)
Mike S, Manchester (10/05/2007 at 10:18)
However, the government is happy for us to be charged far higher for the same goods any anywhere else in Europe - that's the real crime.
The police are going after this as a market trader is an easy static target. Much easier than patrolling the streets to deter muggers and rapists and make the streets safer for us tax payers. I'm disgusted that so much public money is being spent on this.
ace, manchester (10/05/2007 at 10:57)
The biggest crime is this government who allow these companys to charge such massive amounts for their goods in britain and yet sell the same goods elsewhere for less? WE ARE TAXED TO DEATH IN BRITAIN.How the hell can people pat this government on its back and say how well they have done??????
Bill, Kiriat Motzkin (10/05/2007 at 11:37)
Mike S, Manchester (10/05/2007 at 12:47)
I said that it's a crime that the government does nothing about companies charging us much higher prices than elsewhere in Europe for the same goods. I didn't say they've done a good job!
trueblue, manchester (10/05/2007 at 13:24)
These people pay no taxes,no vat, no corporation tax. Their workforce are often people already claiming benefits. No premises,no pension arrangements, no minimum wage .. Don't blame a market economy for what is no better than theft..
trueblue, manchester (10/05/2007 at 13:41)
As to victimless crime' How did the first World Trade Centre bombers fund their operation, it was by flogging fake t shirts to tourists. Why do you think the IRA cornered the market in bootleg audio tapes???
Secret Squirrel (10/05/2007 at 15:46)
Where are the officals then? Somebody must be the market manager, why aren't they clearing these criminals out?
mudderfookerspain (10/05/2007 at 16:08)
It saved me a fortune!!!
As for quality, I've bought genuine Prada for years, holes have appeared and
T-shirts have gone baggy even though I have washed these items carfully.
Also most of the designer products are made in sweat shops anyway.
I can't wait to order some new gear for the summer without spending hundreds of pounds.
Leo Branca (10/05/2007 at 16:13)
PW, Manchester (10/05/2007 at 18:49)
mancunian, australia (10/05/2007 at 21:51)
EXAMPLE;
35 dollars for trainers at multi national store. Look good, feel good & last for approxmately 6 months.
170 dollars for 'designer' trainers at specialist footwear store. Look good, feel good & last for approximately 4 months. Manufactured in third world 'sweat' shops to maximise profits.
In the meantime of course, manufacturing industry in western democracies is being shut down as fast as greedy shareholders can export the process.
gato (11/05/2007 at 00:34)
Take Burberry for example, They sell Englishness but have moved their profitable operation to China to make a couple of million quid a year extra. How Enlish is their product now? Who are the Original counterfeiters??
Martin Pare (11/05/2007 at 03:07)
The Labels try to fleece the consumer by having disgraceful mark ups on clothes that are made in sweatshops themselves.
In fact many of the copies are actually made in the same sweatshops the originals are made in so the quality is almost the same (sometime indistinguishable).
While these companies continue to profiteer, there will always be a black market trade.
Colin W, Stockholm (11/05/2007 at 05:53)