MORE than £300,000 worth of fake designer goods have been seized in the latest raid in the battle against counterfeit traders.

A squad of 15 police officers and Trading Standards officials raided The Leather Store at 41 Bury New Road in Cheetham Hill yesterday and found suspected fake items including designer trainers, jumpers and coats.

The raid was the latest in a series of swoops as officers crack down on traders thought to be making millions.

It follows an M.E.N. investigation which exposed the extent of the problem. We found that Manchester was recognised as Britain's `counterfeit capital' and discovered that fake goods being sold across the country were often sourced from its doorstep.

We passed details and addresses to Trading Standards and police, who launched an initial operation that picked up £3m worth of illegal designer fashionwear.

That has been followed by further raids and police have promised more in the build-up to Christmas.

The latest involved a test purchase, where a Trading Standards officer, posing as a customer, bought what appeared to be a Stone Island jumper from the shop. He came out and then a man was arrested under the Fraud Act. The contents of the store were loaded into a lorry.

Brand protection managers from companies such as Adidas and Lacoste were on hand to confirm goods were fake.

Mike Roylance, from Adidas, said he welcomed the operation and added: "Coverage from the M.E.N. has been a great help in highlighting what goes on. People need to realise that a lot of the money made from these shops goes towards funding terrorism and drug dealing. We won't stand for it."

A spokesman for Stone Island added: "Whenever we find fake goods across the country, they nearly always originate here.

"But it is so obvious - they are selling jackets that if genuine would go for over £300. Here they are as little as £40."

As the raid was taking place, other shops quickly pulled down shutters and closed, while staff from others emerged to see what was going on.

Martin Roberts, from Manchester council's Trading Standards department, said: "There is no hiding place."