Hundreds of items removed from city centre shopping centre after police and council raid

Hundreds of items of fake goods have been seized from stores at a Liverpool shopping centre after a tipoff from a member of the public. Liverpool City Council’s Trading Standards team, working with Merseyside Police, have removed bags of counterfeit products from St Johns Precinct in the city centre.

An inspection of five stores in St Johns resulted in 280 counterfeit items of clothing being seized, including fake versions of White Fox, Prada and Diesel. Although the items were being sold at bargain prices, the haul would be worth approximately £25,000 if they were real.

In a previous operation earlier this year, the team seized over 1,500 fake products, believed to be worth roughly £15,000 in total. Items included a haul of fake Apple, Samsung and Sony items, which could have posed a serious safety risk to potential buyers.

As well as counterfeit goods, the city council has recently cracked down on the selling of illegal vapes. Since January 2024, over 18,000 vapes have been seized, estimated to be worth around £220,000. The vapes were found to have exceeded the legal limit of nicotine and could be harmful to people using them.

To help remove any health and safety risk to the public, all reported counterfeit or illegal goods are investigated and seized. Where possible, any branding will be taken off the items before they are recycled or donated. In cases where items are unsafe, they will be destroyed. Anyone concerned about fake goods can report them on the Council website or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Cllr Laura Robertson-Collins, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Neighbourhoods and Streetscene said: “Everyone loves a good bargain, especially in the lead up to Christmas, but we want everyone to be vigilant about counterfeit goods.

“Thanks to keen-eyed shoppers, we were alerted to a number of shops selling fake items to the public. Our Trading Standards team, along with Merseyside Police, acted quickly to inspect these items and take them off the shelves for good.

“While they might look like the real thing, counterfeit clothing is usually made from poor quality materials and may be easily flammable or otherwise unsafe. It might seem like a good deal now, but it could cost you dearly in the long run.”