Council staff seize fake goods from St Johns

High-end clothing deals have turned out to be too good to be true at St John’s Precinct, as bags of counterfeit products are seized by Liverpool City Council. 

The Council’s Trading Standards team, working in partnership with Merseyside Police, has removed hundreds of fake goods after receiving a report from a member of the public.  

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 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.

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.” 

Anyone concerned about fake goods can report them on the Council website or by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.