Sutton magistrates fined a Sussex man £2,435 for peddling counterfeit designer clothes to a Carshalton taxi driver nine months after he was found guilty of similar offences.

Lee Cross, 44, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of distributing clothing likely to be mistaken for registered trademarks, last week, in a prosecution led by Sutton trading standards.

Officer Barry Woodhead told the court police had seized 54 pieces of counterfeit clothing, bearing such names as Ted Baker, Gap and even Bob The Builder, from the taxi driver.

And trading standards officers had discovered that it was Cross who had supplied the fakes, on a sale or return basis.

Defending, Ray Blount told magistrates Cross had stopped dealing in clothing and had co-operated throughout the trading standards probe.

The court heard Cross, of Hailsham, was given a conditional discharge by Eastbourne magistrates in January for similar offences, an order he breached in committing his latest misdeeds.

He was fined £750 for the breach, on top of £1,000 for the fresh offences and £685 in costs.