FAKE designer clothes worth more than £500,000 have been seized in Manchester's war against counterfeit traders.

Since the M.E.N. revealed the city was regarded as the capital for fake goods last year, there have been a number of raids.

Trading standards officials backed by police and brand managers from firms such as Adidas have swooped on shops.

But officials say crooks have come up with cunning new methods of avoiding the law.

They believe some are continuing to operate from stores which they now fill with legitimate, low-cost goods.

Potential customers in the market for fakes are asked what they really want to buy and a worker is despatched to a nearby storeroom. Minutes later, they return with fake goods and the deal is done.

The latest swoop was on a unit near Strangeways prison. Police broke down the door and found an Aladdin's cave of fake goods, with boxes of t-shirts, coats, trainers, handbags and perfume. Brands such as Giorgio Armani, Nike, Adidas and Calvin Klein were on display.

Catalogue

In a small office, complete with a CCTV screen overlooking the entrance, there was even a catalogue.

Nicola Bray, of Manchester Trading Standards, said the raid sent a message to the villains. "We won't stop until they're finished," she said.

"This affects hundreds of legitimate businesses. Places like the Arndale Market, for example, really suffer with this kind of thing going on round the corner. Since the raids, they have realised we will come for them and have come up with new ways of getting round us.

"But we're onto them."

The owner of the illegal bounty has already been traced and will face prosecution under The Trademarks Act. There is a maximum £5,000 fine or up to ten years in prison.

Mike Roylance, from Adidas, said of the crooks: "They've changed their way of operating and we've changed our way of detecting them. We won't stop until they've gone."

Pc Steve Dixon, from Collyhurst station, said: "We'll carry on until we rid Manchester of this problem, regardless of what they do."