Council joins illicit trader crackdown

The authority has teamed up with Nottinghamshire Trading Standards to join the county council-run Real Deal Scheme to tackling the problem of illicit traders selling illegal products on markets.

The national drive is set to bring together Trading Standards, market operators and traders, industry groups, and copyright and trademark owners, and will target markets around Mansfield.

A council spokesman said that the drive will aim to crack down on the sale of stolen and counterfeit goods, unsafe items, tobacco and alcohol products with unpaid duty, offensive weapons, fireworks and items of a pornographic nature.

Coun Kate Allsop, portfolio holder for economic regeneration at Mansfield district council, said: “Illicit market traders not only have a detrimental effect on the reputation of both the market and legitimate traders, they can impact on the reputation of the brands they sell and their customers by supplying both unsafe and incorrectly described goods.”

Illicit traders can expect to have goods seized and may face criminal proceedings, a spokesman said.

Coun Glynn Gilfoyle from the county council said: “We are delighted Mansfield District Council has joined forces with the county council to stamp out the sale of illicit goods at Mansfield Market.”