Disney’s Frozen, Peppa Pig and Angry Birds are just some of the fake toys worth more than £500,000 seized in Salford in a huge Christmas counterfeit clampdown.
Trading Standards officers found thousands of ‘unsafe’ goods in a raid earlier this week including 7,000 Super Mario toys, 350 mobile phones and 2,000 Disney Frozen loom band sets.
In another, the officers came across a further 3,700 bogus toys, including 21 boxes of Frozen items, and nearly 50 boxes of assorted Disney, Spiderman and Toy Story toys.
Salford’s Deputy City Mayor, Councillor David Lancaster, said: “It took officers eight transit van journeys, two combi van journeys and two trips in a people carrier just to remove all the items. Those not needed for court evidence will be crushed and recycled.”
The council said that many of the toys were barely distinguishable from their genuine counterparts, but were missing warnings and safety advice on the packets, and the materials used did not comply with regulations.
Councillor Lancaster said: “This is a fantastic start to our campaign. These counterfeit goods were targeted at children as young as four but contained sharp points, small parts which a child could choke on and lead in the paint used.
“They were unsafe as well as ‘ripping off’ legitimate brands and I’m delighted we have been able to take them out of circulation.”
Businesses suspected of foul play were told to stay on the right side of the law or expect a visit from trading standards and environmental protection officers.
Officers from HMRC, the Home Office’s illegal working and modern slavery teams, GMP and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service are preparing to visit business across Salford this month to ensure they are complying with regulations.
