A NATIONAL operation to sell counterfeit jeans has been foiled by Trading Standards Officers.

'Ivor Male Boutique', trading as 'Stolen From Ivor' were selling counterfeit Levis and Calvin Klein jeans in their stores throughout England.

On Thursday, April 6 the Salford-based company was fined £44,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,036 at Salford Magistrates Court, after pleading guilty to 22 offences relating to counterfeit goods.

Bernard Seymour, defending, said the firm has been unaware the items were not genuine.

The case came as a result of a tip-off from a Levi representative who had purchased a pair of the fake jeans whilst posing as a customer. Trading Standards Officers from St Helens entered the 'Stolen From Ivor' shop in Church Square, St Helens as part of a nationally co-ordinated operation to raid the company's 22 branches simultaneously across the country.

The joint raids netted more than 1,300 pairs of jeans, resulting in a seizure in excess of £50,000 in street value. Richard Ward, chairman of St Helens Council's Housing, Environmental and Contract Services Department, said: "This case is a perfect example of how the public can be duped by the counterfeiter. These goods were marked up and labelled almost identical to the originals and only a trained eye could spot the difference. Sadly, this was not true of the quality, which was very poor and became apparent once the goods were worn or washed.

"The fact that the garments were being sold through a High Street outlet strengthened the belief of the consumer in that they were purchasing an original article. People found that they were paying a lot of money for what they believed to be top quality branded goods. The realisation that the jeans were fake, of a very poor standard and worth only a fraction of the price paid would be very distressing.

"This shows how Trading Standards can ensure that the consumer gets a fair deal and in doing so maintain confidence in the legitimate trade."