FAKE England shirts and badges have been seized in a clampdown on counterfeiters in the run-up to this week's international at Portman Road.Suffolk trading standards officers seized the haul during a operation they ran with the FA and shirt manufacturers Umbro shortly before Wednesday's match.

FAKE England shirts and badges have been seized in a clampdown on counterfeiters in the run-up to this week's international at Portman Road.

Suffolk trading standards officers seized the haul during a operation they ran with the FA and shirt manufacturers Umbro shortly before Wednesday's match.

There have not been any fake England merchandise on sale in the run-up to recent home international matches – but this week they swooped on a trader operating in Cardinal Park shortly before kick-off.

Three shirts and 64 button badges were seized – but officers believed many more had been sold before they swooped.

"These articles were not high quality," said David Baker from Suffolk trading standards.

"They looked good at first sight, but a closer inspection shows they weren't very well made.

"We do this for two reasons – to protect the public by stopping shoddy goods from coming to the market and to protect local businesses selling genuine goods."

The trader is being sent a written warning and his home trading standards department is being told about the incident.

"There's no point in going through the expense of prosecution at this stage, but if this person persists then this is on his record," said Mr Baker.

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