New Year's clear-out overdue at Bucks County Council's fake goods strongroom

Carol Sampson, operations director at Sports Traider and county councillor Noel Brown begin the clear out of fake and seized goods

Fake and counterfeit goods valued at around £10,000 are to be cleared away, recycled or reused.

The retrieval of items such as alcohol, cigarettes and designer clothes collected over the past three years now restricts the storage of any more captured goods.

'Reuse and recycle' is key to the council's clear-out operations and they say they are keen to do what they can to remove labelling from counterfeit items.

Sports Traider, a Bedfordshire based charity that donates unwanted items to disadvantaged youngsters will remove the goods for re-use or destruction.

Other items such as dangerous skin lightening creams containing high levels of mercury and annexed from small shops around Bucks will be destroyed.

Lawrence Eldridge, who supervises investigations for Bucks and Surrey Trading Standards said: "The goods to be disposed of had either been seized during operations, forfeited after successful prosecutions, or signed over to investigating officers by co-operative traders."

Noel Brown, Bucks County Council cabinet member for community engagement and public health said: "The amount and value of the illegal and dangerous items seized represents the tireless work by our Trading Standards officers to keep our residents safe from unscrupulous traders."