A haul of over 750 counterfeit DVDs has been seized and destroyed by Council officers, following a three-week operation in Kingsland Waste market, Kingsland Road, E8.

The operation, which formed part of the national Real Deal campaign, was carried out by Hackney Council, with the support of Hackney Police, and aimed to advise and educate traders on consumer protection legislation, and to crack down on unlicensed trading. Real Deal is a partnership initiative which unites and supports local authority trading standards, market operators and market traders in the fight to keep counterfeit goods out of UK markets and car boot sales.

Over three consecutive Saturdays, starting on 2 October, Market Inspectors joined forces with Trading Standards officers and Hackney Police’s Safer Neighbourhoods Teams, to offer advice and to check the legitimacy of the products on sale.

During the operation, an estimated £4,000 worth of goods were seized from unlicensed traders, including over 750 counterfeit and copied DVDs, 78 of which were adult in content. Five packs of illegal tobacco and a quantity of counterfeit controlled medicines, including 10 bottles of fake Viagra, were also seized and destroyed. Personal details and photographs of the unlicensed traders were taken, and they were all issued with notices detailing the offences committed and a list of legislative requirements by which traders must abide. Notices also contained a warning that further action could be taken in future.

Councillor Feryal Demirci, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Hackney Council, says: “The Council is committed to protecting the consumer rights of residents, and to ensuring they get a fair deal. This operation sends a warning to traders that counterfeit goods are illegal, unsafe and will not be tolerated in Hackney.”

Several licensed traders were issued with warnings for not displaying goods on a stall or table, and were reminded of their obligations under the Council’s street trading license conditions. The Council and police will continue to monitor the situation at Kingsland Waste market closely.

Liz Bales, Director General of the Industry Trust for IP Awareness, which initiated the Real Deal campaign, says: "Well-run local markets provide real benefits to shoppers and businesses alike and are an important asset for local communities. By signing up to the Real Deal charter, Hackney Council is sending a clear keep-out message to counterfeit con men. The Council s Trading Standards team and its Market Inspectors have embraced the principle of fake-free trading and we hope that other Councils across the country will follow their lead."

For more information on Real Deal, see www.realdealmarkets.co.uk

For more information on Trading Standards, and consumer rights, see www.hackney.gov.uk/tradingstandards, or call 020 8356 4929.