Belfast jeweller fined £500 for selling counterfeit football memorabilia

Mrs Anne Lauro who trades as “Kavanagh’s”, 36 Gresham Street, Belfast was today fined £500 plus £37 court costs at Belfast Magistrates’ Court.

The fine is in relation to 10 charges of exposing for sale counterfeit items of football jewellery and other football memorabilia. Mrs Lauro was fined £100 for each of the first five charges, plus £37 court costs and was given a conditional discharge for 18 months on the remaining five charges. The goods were forfeited to the Department.

Following complaints from some Scottish football clubs, Mrs Lauro’s business premises were visited on 6 December 2006 and a total of 53 offending items were seized by Trading Standards Officers.

The offending items included rings, cigarette lighters, hip flasks, tankards and pendants. These goods bore the trade marks of such football clubs as Leeds United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Rangers, Celtic and Manchester United. Each of the teams were contacted and they identified the items bearing their respective trade marks as being counterfeit.

A Trading Standards spokesperson said: “Counterfeiting is a multi-million pound industry and can include clothing, jewellery, sunglasses, car parts, DVDs and CDs and even everyday items such as soap powder and drinks. Traders should be aware that supply of counterfeit goods can result in not only fines and the loss of the goods, but can also lead to a criminal record and a potential prison sentence.”

Any member of the public who thinks they have been offered counterfeit goods by traders should contact Consumerline on 0845 600 6262 or log on to the consumerline website www.consumerline.org.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Trading Standards Service investigates possible offences relating to unauthorised uses of registered trade marks. The offences are found in section 92 of the Trade marks Act 1994.
2. For media enquiries please contact the DETI Press Office, telephone 028 9052 9297 or 07866 847919.
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