A TRADER selling fake designer clothing was fined more than £6,000 after trading standards officers seized counterfeit goods.

Frederick Leyser, director of What's New Pussycat, in the Mall, Bromley, was prosecuted for selling fake Versace, Elle and FCUK.

The borough's trading standards officers bought "designer" goods from the stall after an anonymous tip-off, Bromley Magistrates' Court heard on July 4.

The company pleaded guilty to 42 charges under Trades Descriptions and Trade Marks Acts, and Leyser pleaded guilty to 33 charges attributable to his neglect and one charge committed with his consent.

Leyser was ordered to serve 180 hours of a community punishment order and pay £3,250 costs.

And What's New Pussycat Limited was fined £6,300 and also ordered to pay £3,250 costs.

The court agreed to grant a forfeiture order meaning that the 1,179 seized counterfeit items, which the company bought for £8,000, will not be returned.

They will instead be passed to a charity which can either recycle the material, or remove the trademarks and resell the goods.

Trading Standards officer Samantha Phillips said: "This was a major seizure of counterfeit goods.

"Had these goods been genuine, the street value would have been approximately £57,000."

July 12, 2002 10:00