Fake goods stall set up by Trading Standards

A STALL full of fake goods has been set up by Trading Standards to warn people of the dangers of buying dodgy gifts this Christmas.

Tower Hamlets officers joined forces with Crimestoppers and set up shop on Whitechapel High Street last week to lure in unsuspecting customers.

The team was there to advise shoppers how to identify the fakes and warn them that many merchants who sell counterfeit goods have links to serious organised crime, including human trafficking and drug smuggling.

In a recent You Gov survey, a quarter of adults have knowingly bought a fake DVD.

But when asked if they would still buy the product knowing it could have funded serious crime more than half said they definitely would not.

Goods could also be dangerous – from fake electronics that start house-fires to fake clothes which contain dyes which are harmful to skin.

Colin Perrins, Tower Hamlets Trading Standards head, said: “With Christmas coming some people may be tempted to purchase fake goods at places like Whitechapel Market. I would encourage them all to take caution when considering suspicious looking items.

“The consequences are far reaching and can damage our communities.”