Markets campaign on rogue traders

Keith Bemrose, who runs markets at Skirlington and Strawberry Fields, Bridlington, will sign up to the Real Deal Initiative with East Riding Council on Monday.

The charter aims to prevent markets being infiltrated by people selling counterfeit goods and other illegal products.

In May, hundreds of counterfeit goods worth tens of thousands of pounds were seized from five stalls in a raid by Humberside Police and trading standards officers. One was subsequently found to be selling genuine goods, a second stallholder received a caution and investigations continue into the remaining three.

Mr Bemrose said the charter should serve as "a warning to dodgy traders" to stay away.

He said: "The public think they are getting a good bargain and then they wash their T-shirt and find it has shrunk to the size of a postage stamp. They have paid very little for it but they may as well have thrown their money away.

"We wouldn't have 300 traders at Skirlington if we had dodgy dealers. They are there because they haven't got this unfair competition."

The trading standards services manager at East Riding Council, Colin Briggs, said: "Since May we believe there has been a vast improvement. Obviously we are not complacent. Problems can arise at any time.

"It is a national and worldwide problem and it is unfortunately tied up with other forms of criminality. If people were aware of that they would think twice about buying such goods in the first place."

Coun Jane Evison said: "Markets are vital to the economy of the East Riding and this initiative means that consumers will now be able to shop at them safe in the knowledge that they will not be ripped off by the fraudsters and counterfeiters that have blighted markets in the past."