Big rise in fakeelectric goods

It comes at a time when East Sussex County Council is reducing its Trading Standards budget.

The UK has seen a six fold increase in the number of counterfeit electrical goods discovered in the past four years.

Figures obtained by The Co-operative Electrical from local councils and Border Force – the organisation charged with patrolling the UK’s borders – show the value of counterfeit electrical goods seized has risen from £2,614,783 in 2009 to a staggering £15,725,462 in 2012.

East Sussex County Council had a trading standards budget of £1,469,000 in 2010, £1,456,000 in 2011 and this dropped to £1,405,000 in 2012.

In 2011, there were three prosecutions related to the sale of counterfeit goods while in 2010 and 2012 there were just two.

James Harris, assistant director of economy, transport and environment for East Sussex County Council, said: “Trading Standards officers have worked closely with the organisers of car boot sales and other events to stamp out the sale of counterfeit items, and their hard work has more or less eradicated this problem in the county.

“The problem with counterfeit sales on the internet is another issue and these are investigated within the constraints of our Enforcement Policy, the Regula tors Compliance Code, RIPA and the Code for Crown Prosecutors.”

Regional budgets have been slashed from £85 million to under £70 million.