A wannabe-Del Boy has scored an own goal after officers caught him trying to peddle thousands of pounds worth of knock-off World Cup kits.
The dodgy salesman bought 1,300 fake strips from abroad but his counterfeit operation was halted by trading standards officers when they searched his Newcastle home.
The officers estimated the haul of counterfeit goods, had they been genuine, were worth in the region of £82,000. Their street value is an estimated £35,000.
The fake goods were found sorted into teams and sizes - but the stash was seized by trading standards and is now being held in a secret location.
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The full strips, including shorts, shirts and socks were imported from abroad and were destined to be sold in online markets.
The kits were spotted during routine online searches for counterfeit goods carried out by trading standards officers online. In this case they discovered the seller was using anonymous profiles.
A search of the perpetrators postcode revealed previous intelligence relating to the import and sale of counterfeit goods going back years.
Kits from most nations taking part in the World Cup were discovered - including strips from England, Germany, France, and Portugal.
The future of the unofficial football gear remains uncertain - with trading standards officer yet to decide whether it will be recycled or destroyed.
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