Fake goods charter plan launched

Illegal trading has links to other types of criminality

Campaigners are calling for a national crackdown on the sale of counterfeit goods at street markets and boot fairs.

The Alliance Against Intellectual Property Theft says that in some street markets up to 45% of stalls are selling counterfeit goods.

These include pirate CDs, DVDs and fake perfumes. The fake clothes and footwear market is worth £750m a year, the alliance says.

The alliance wants councils and market organisers to sign a national charter.

Campaigners want national regulation of markets because currently if one council takes action, the fake goods sellers simply move somewhere else.

A national charter would involve sharing intelligence with the police about illegal trading.

It will also set out key the principles which all the signatories would abide by.

Illegal trading leads to consumers being "ripped off", other traders going out of business and an increase in anti-social behaviour, the alliance says. Fake trading may also be linked to other types of criminality.

The alliance says that 25% of counterfeits and fakes are bought at markets.