Christmas shoppers are warned not to buy discount designer gear as police seize £1million haul of fake jewellery, trainers and football shirts in London

• Approximately 4,000 counterfeit items seized in Camden High Street
• In one shop, football shirts worth an estimated loss to the industry of £69,800
• Fake merch seized by Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit 

Christmas shoppers have been warned to stay clear of discount designer gear after £1m worth of fakes were seized in London.

Approximately 4,000 counterfeit items were seized from four shops in Camden High Street, North London, on Tuesday.

In one shop, officers seized counterfeit football shirts worth an estimated loss to the industry of £69,800.

Counterfeit designer bracelets, thought to be worth an estimated loss of around £400,000, and £19,240 worth of counterfeit trainers were found in another shop.

This fake merch was seized by the City of London’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU).

In one shop, officers seized counterfeit football shirts worth an estimated loss to the industry of £69,800

Approximately 4,000 counterfeit items were seized from four shops in Camden High Street, North London, on Tuesday

Counterfeit designer bracelets, thought to be worth an estimated loss of around £400,000, and £19,240 worth of counterfeit trainers were found in another shop

This was one in a series of police raids, aimed to make sure businesses play by the rules and customers aren’t being ripped off.

Detective Inspector Andrew Masterson, from the City of London police, said: ‘Selling counterfeit goods is illegal, and we ask the public to think twice before buying bargain products as gifts in the run up to Christmas.

‘While the cheaper price of these goods can be appealing, the reality is that counterfeiting can be a gateway to fund other organised crime.

‘We seized a range of counterfeit products that included toys and vapes, which we believe were made to a low quality and didn’t meet safety standards.

READ MORE: Police donate 1,000 tonnes of fake designer gear to the homeless after huge counterfeit raids

‘We’re following up on raids in Camden earlier this year to send a clear message that we’re here for the long-term.

‘We’re working with brands and Trading Standards to make Camden a hostile place for counterfeiters to sell their wares, and where legitimate traders can thrive.’

Earlier this year, PIPCU officers seized counterfeit clothing, handbags and watches, worth an estimated loss to the industry of £5 million, from two shops on Camden High Street, and arrested three people.

Councillor Richard Olszewski from Camden Council said: ‘We want all businesses that play by the rules to flourish in Camden – and we will not allow them to be undercut by traders that sell counterfeit goods.

‘We also have a duty to protect Camden consumers, who are vulnerable to being ripped off or sold a poor-quality product.

‘These regular raids send out a strong message – get your house in order and trade legally, or face a visit from the police and Trading Standards. You will be held to account for your dishonest actions.’

Earlier this year, PIPCU officers seized counterfeit clothing, handbags and watches, worth an estimated loss to the industry of £5 million, from two shops on Camden High Street, and arrested three people

Director of Intellectual Property Enforcement Miles Rees added: ‘It is estimated that the sale of counterfeits contributes to more than 80,000 job losses in the UK each year by diverting funds away from legitimate traders and into the hands of criminals, as well leading to real harms for those using them.

‘These goods are produced with little regard for the safety of the consumer or for the workers frequently exploited during their production, and are very often of extremely poor quality.

‘This is anything but a victimless crime.

‘We are pleased to support the activity to clamp down on the sale of such illicit goods in and around Camden, working in partnership to help protect the public from this type of crime, and raise awareness of the damage caused to consumers, communities, and local economies.’

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